After Dark: The Mansion Incident
by Smash King24
Summary: Are the faint sounds of footsteps those of survivors?...
1. Taken

After Dark: The Mansion Incident

Chapter 1: Taken

_He could hear loud banging noises coming from the other side of the door. The sound of medical equipment smashing off of tile rang through his ears. Ike dropped his sword on the ground and continued to stare at the wooden plank in front of him. _

_She was in trouble. _

_He checked his pockets for the herbs, but they weren't there. Somehow, the green herbs he found in Raccoon City were gone. And the banging refused to cease. An eerie chill ran down his spine. There was wild screaming accompanying the banging now. Ike couldn't take it anymore. He grabbed the doorknob in an attempt to open it, but it refused to co-operate with him. The door was locked. Ike cursed as he slammed his fists into the wood. She was calling for him. And he couldn't do anything to stop it. Ike took a step back and rammed the door with his shoulder. The plating on his shoulder clanked off the mahogany wood, but the door remained standing. Ike stepped back farther and rammed it a second time, this time with more power. The door still stood. The crying stopped now, along with the sound of breaking glass. Ike froze on the spot. Was he too late to stop it? No, he couldn't be. Ike lifted up his heavy Ragnell and brought it down on the door. In one full swing, the door collapsed in a pile of wood scrapings on the ground. He stepped in and examined the dark room. _

_The hospital wing was completely drenched in blood. The beds were all torn up and scattered in pieces on the floor. Several potted plants lay tipped over and the soil was turning a crimson color. A smashed window stood idly on the other side. Ike dropped his sword again when he saw her. Zelda was standing in the middle of the room. Her entire body was painted crimson. Just from one dose of the virus, too. Ike quickly ran to her and she collapsed into his arms. He brushed her hair out of her face. Her body was frail and broken. She struggled to open her blue eyes to see her saviour. She closed her eyes the moment she recognized the swordsman. _

"_Ike...You came back..." _

_Ike held her hand. The pulse was starting to slow. She was coming close to her end. He looked about the room for anything to heal her. Unfortunately, all the medicinal vaccines had been completely destroyed and leaked onto the red tile. If only he had the herbs. If he had the herbs, he may have been able to save her. But it was too late now. He was too late. She put a bloody hand up to his face and smiled. He squeezed her hand tightly as tears entered his eyes. Zelda whispered something to him too quiet to hear. But the movement of her lips was all he needed. _

"_I love you..." _

_Zelda dropped her hand and closed her eyes. Her breathing stopped. Her heart stopped. But the blood still continued to flow out of the wound on her neck. Ike couldn't stop himself from holding her hand. He started crying as he brought his head down to hers and kissing her on the cheek. Zelda was gone. Ike sat in the bloody room for what seemed like hours. And not once did he let go of the princess' hand. _

_It wasn't until after a few minutes that the unthinkable happened. Zelda's hand started to move. Ike looked up and watched her hand twitch. It felt around his hand for a few seconds before grasping it gently. Was she still alive? Was there hope for her survival? The hope hidden in the bottom of Ike's heart returned when he sensed the blood circulating throughout her body again. But it disappeared when Zelda's hand felt tighter around the swordsman's._

_Ike looked down to see her eyes open. But it wasn't the pure blue light he had seen once before. No, Zelda's eyes were dark. They were red. Blood red. She opened her mouth to reveal a set of dying yellowed teeth. Ike flinched when she started moaning at him. He wanted to let go of her, but something deep inside him pressed him to hold on. Zelda used her other hand to grab Ike's neck. Because of this action, Ike was completely thrown off balance and he fell to the bloody floor. Zelda lay on top of him, her putrid breath penetrating his nostrils. She brought her mouth to his neck and bit into him. Ike winced at the pain but he didn't react. He knew what was wrong with her. He really did come too late. She was a monster. Ike's blood splashed into his eyes and he closed them tight as the virus entered his body. _

"_I love you too..."_

Suddenly, the scene was overcome by a shining white light. Ike was perfectly blinded. Zelda's infected voice started to die away. All sounds started to die away as the pain left his body. The light continued to blind him.

"_Zelda...I'm sorry...I was too late...Please...Forgive me..._"

Ike opened his eyes. The Smash Mansion stood before him. He was standing in the mansion parking lot. The area was empty, just like he remembered it.

"_I'm home?.._." he thought. "_But how?.._." The summer sun shined down on him happily in the clear sky. It was late afternoon, a few months after the tournament. Ike couldn't remember anything. He had been crowned Smash Champion when he was victorious in the tournament. After that, all the fighters were given a few months off from their training. Master Hand decided to give them an extra month due to the struggle the smashers went through in the city.

That dreaded Raccoon City.

Ike stood still and stared at the mansion for a while, pondering the previous events.

"_Raccoon City...I remember. The monsters...The people...Zelda..._"

Ike's memories shot back at him instantly.

"Zelda!"

Ike ran towards the building and burst through the front doors. The foyer was completely empty. None of the smashers could be seen anywhere. He sped up the large stairs and down the straight hallways.

"I can't be too late! Not again! I can't be too late!"

He ran as fast as his feet could carry him. He realized that his sword was not with him. If the room was locked, he was going to have to look for another alternative. Ike stopped in front of the mahogany doors. There was no banging or screaming. It was a completely different scene. Ike reached for the doorknob and grasped it. He froze for a few seconds. What if she was a zombie? What if he was too late?

"No. I will not allow that to happen."

Ike twisted the knob and gently pushed the door open. There was no crimson at all. Only the pure forms of clean whiteness engulfed the room. Medical supplies sat on the shelves neatly and in order. The potted plants were in their regular positions. The window was waxed and clear as the sky. All the beds were clean, except for one at the end. Ike's princess was sleeping in this one.

"Thank God..."

Ike walked over to the bedside and looked down at Zelda. She was breathing heavily. A cold, bloody cloth was on her forehead. Zelda was sweating hard, and there were some blood stains on her skin from earlier that day. Seeing the wounds reminded Ike of his mission.

"The herbs...Where are they?"

He checked his pockets to find the green plants crumpled in a bunch. He yanked them out as carefully as he could without damaging the medicines. They were all wrinkled and warm, but their potency was unchanged. He looked down at the plants in his hands and at Zelda's wounds.

He turned around and headed to the nearby sink. He pulled down a white mug from the shelf above him. He then turned on the water and let it run until it was steaming hot. Ike filled the mug with the hot water and dropped the herbs in. The plants immediately dissolved into the liquid , causing the water to turn green. He returned to Zelda's side and set the mug on the night stand. Zelda opened her eyes when she felt Ike sit down on the bed.

"Ike...You're back..." she struggled to say.

"Shh..." whispered Ike as he put a finger to cover her mouth. "You're going to be alright. Trust me."

Zelda smiled.

"Thank you...Ike..."

The swordsman grabbed the mug and gently blew on it.

"Here, this will make you feel better. Careful, it's hot."

Ike held the medicine in front of her mouth and Zelda took a small sip. She breathed deeply.

"I...I feel better already..." she said smiling.

Ike couldn't help but smile back.

"It should cure you completely if you drink it all. Here."He set the mug in her hands and let it sit on her bed. "I'm...sorry I couldn't get here sooner. I got a little tied up."

"It's okay. As long as you're here, I feel safe. Don't leave me again like that."

"Okay. I promise."

There was a small knock on the door.

"Anyone in there?" asked a muffled voice from the other side.

"It's open, Ness," replied Ike.

The door creaked open and Ness's large head poked through.

"Is she okay?" he asked.

"Nothing to be afraid of. Come on in," said Ike.

Ness walked into the room, attempting to hide a bouquet of red flowers behind his back.

"Um, I brought these for you," he said revealing his present.

"Thank you," replied Zelda.

Ness set the flowers on the table near Zelda's bed and then gave her a hug.

"You're going to be okay, aren't you?" he asked.

"Oh, I think so. Just so long as Ike keeps a watch over me."

"Oh don't worry, I will."

Zelda took another sip of the medicine.

"I think it's working. Where did you get such a thing? Everything Mario's been treating me with hasn't done a thing for me."

Ike tried to recall what happened.

He remembered finding himself back in Raccoon City, during the second outbreak. Sonic had used Chaos Control to warp them all there. Link and Samus were the ones who found the herbs in the first place. It was a good thing they gave them to Ike when they had the chance. Where did they go anyway?

"Uh oh..." muttered Ike.

"Ike, what's wrong?" asked Zelda.

"This is not good. Ness, I need you to keep an eye on her for me," said Ike as he ran out of the room.

Ness didn't even get a chance to reply.

Ike dashed out the mansion doors and into the parking lot again. Everything was unchanged. But the thought still lingered in the back of his mind.

"_Where did they go? How am I the only one who made it back home?_"

Something wasn't right. The Chaos Control should have sent them all home. But Ike was the only one here.

"_Could something have gone wrong?_"

He couldn't stop thinking about it. Could it have been his fault why they got lost? Ike ran back into the building. He had to tell Master Hand.

"Master Hand! Something's gone wrong!" he shouted. His voice echoed throughout the empty mansion. Where was everyone? "Somebody! Anybody!" There was no reply. Ike ran up the stairs and headed down to the hallway to Master Hand's office. The double doors were mysteriously left open. Ike peaked into the room. Master hand was not sitting at his desk. He wasn't anywhere. Ike stomped on teh floor and cursed. "What the hell is going on here!? Where is everyone!?" He ran back down the halls and headed to the hospital wing. Zelda and Ness were still there.

"Ness, where is everybody?" Ike asked.

Ness shrugged his shoulders.

"I don't know. They've been gone all day."

"What? How can that be? I was just talking to Mario this morning."

"I saw Mario this morning too. But, I don't know where he went at lunch time. I was fishing at the pond outside."

"You were outside?"

"Yeah."

"Was there anyone else with you?"

"Nope. Just me. Didn't catch anything though."

"Was there anyone else outside?"

"Actually...now that you mention it...everybody was inside."

The sound of chopper blades soon filled the air. Ike paused and stared out the window. A large carrier could be seen heading to the mansion from afar.

"_That's not one of ours..._"

Ness turned to the sound of the transport.

"Hey, what's that?"

"It's a chopper. I don't recognize it though."

"You don't think..."

"There's a chance." Ike ran to the door and stopped. "Ness, lock this door. Don't let anyone in unless you know for sure it's me, okay?"

"Okay."

Ike headed to the stairs and ran up them. The chopper blades were louder now. Ike made his way to the roof of the mansion. He had a perfect view of the great forest surrounding the building. For some reason, the clear blue sky had turned a dark grey color. Still, there were no clouds.

"_What's going on here?_"

Ike walked up to the edge of the mansion as the chopper touched down on the roof. Ike stood still as the wind blew his cape up behind him.

"_I don't like this..._"

The Umbrella insignia was imprinted on the side of the chopper. One by one, men dressed in black armour filed out of the carrier. Each of them were armed with a standard class SMG. Each of them bore the same Umbrella badge on their left arm. And each of them had their guns pointed at Ike. There must have been about fifty of them as more and more started coming out of the transport. Ike continued to stare as the dust flew into his face. The last soldier was followed by a man in a white lab coat. He too had an Umbrella badge, except it was over his heart.

The man had several wrinkles on his head and a sharp pair of silver spectacles to match. His hair was a clean white and he had his hands behind his back. Judging from his posture and the way he adjusted his glasses, he looked like a real snob. The man walked up to Ike so that they were both facing each other.

Ike's back was to the great forest in front of the mansion. The man in the lab coat waved one of his hands. At this, a large squad from the main group of soldiers headed to the door and entered the mansion. The scientist smiled at the swordsman. Ike gave the man an evil glare. No one was supposed to know about the Smash Mansion. It was too well hidden from the rest of the world to be known. Yet, these men, these Umbrella members, they somehow found out about the smashers existence. No, they didn't find out. They knew.

"What is the meaning of this?" asked Ike trying to sound as intimidating as he could.

The man was not fazed at all.

"I'm surprised that there are still some of you here. I thought the previous wave wiped all of you out," replied the man.

Ike flinched.

"_Wiped us out? They were here before?_"

Ike wiped his mouth with the back of his hand before continuing.

"Answer my question!" he barked.

The man chuckled.

"My my, touchy aren't we? Well, you're ignorance only proves that our operation was complete. Now, my fine sir, would you please be so kind as to board the chopper there?"

Ike glanced at the chopper and the soldiers behind the scientist.

"No. Not unless you tell me what's going on here."

"Sir, I'm sorry but you don't seem to have a choice in the matter."

The soldiers clicked off the safeties of their weapons. Ike did not react.

"You guys are from Umbrella. What do you want with us?" asked Ike.

The man adjusted his glasses again, so that for a split second, they blinded Ike briefly.

"We want you," he repied.

There was another scream. Ike recognized the voice.

"Zelda!" he cried as he made an attempt to by-pass the men.

The scientist put up a hand as a sign of saying 'stop'.

"Uh uh uh. Can't do that, sir," said the scientist waving a retreated back to the edge. The screaming stopped. Ike turned to the door. A soldier entered the roof while carrying Zelda's body to the chopper. Another soldier followed with Ness' body. "They're not dead. We need them. We need you too, sir," said the man in white. Ike was getting sick of this guy. He clenched his fists in anger.

"What are you going to do to them?" he asked.

"You know, you're wasting your breath with those questions. I suggest you come quietly with us and find out. Unless, you'd rather go through the struggle of fighting these men."

Ike cursed in his mind. There was no way he would be able to take out this many soldiers at once. Especially if he was unarmed. Ike had no choice but to comply. The sound of smashing furniture came from inside the mansion. Ike relaxed himself and walked forward towards the scientist.

"Okay, I'll listen. Just please, don't hurt them. They've suffered enough pain already."

"Believe me sir, I know."

Ike raised an eyebrow at this comment.

"You do?"

"Come. I shall explain when we get on board."

The man put an arm over the swordsman's firm shoulders and lead him to the chopper. Seven other soldiers accompanied them. The rest all entered the mansion. The man shoved Ike into the transport and he sat down at a near seat. He then joined him; the soldiers taking seats wherever they could. Ike couldn't see the expressions on their faces due to the black helmets covering their faces. Ike leaned back in the leather seat as the chopper started to take flight. The last soldier slammed the door shut behind him. Zelda and Ness were no where to be seen. The scientist crossed his legs towards Ike and offered a hand.

"Ivan Anderson," said the scientist.

Ike hesitated before shaking hands.

"Ike. Call me Ike."

"Pleased to meet you."

"Wish I could say the same about you."

"Ha ha. And you have a sense of humour. I love it."

"Cut the crap. Tell me what you're doing with my friends."

"Oh, how terribly rude of me. You're right. I should have given you an explanation why I kidnapped your peers. We were sent by Umbrella."

"I know that already. That's a sure sign that you guys mean bad news."

"I'm not surprised you've heard of us. Actually, I am, but that's besides the point. I have reason to believe that you are affiliated with the outbreak that occurred in Raccoon City a few months ago."

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Don't try to lie, it's not going to work. I know for a fact that there was a specific group of 'strange-looking people' that were associated with the events that took place in that city. You are without a doubt one of the suspects that got intertwined with the situation."

"Okay. You got me. But why now? Why wait until after the outbreak to find us? And how did you find out about us anyway?"

"We had a spy enter the city during the outbreak. She informed us of you. We all know for a fact that the people living in that mansion back there are not normal people. Look at that big headed boy for example. You can tell just by looking at him that he's not normal."

"So, you want us because we are 'not normal'."

"In a manner of speaking."

"That can only mean one thing."

"Oh really? I'm eager to see how you figure this out."

"Umbrella is the one responsible for the second outbreak in Raccoon City. My friends and I just happened to be there when it happened. Our casualties were small and only a few of us got infected. But ultimately, none of us were killed. We arrive back home safe and sound only to be abducted by the freaks who started the whole mess. We survived what could have turned out to be the Apocalypse of the world with mere scratches and dents. The only reason why you would think to unleash the T-Virus in the first place is to test it on live human subjects, like the residents of Raccoon City. This can only mean that, since we are so-called 'not normal', Umbrella wants us as test subjects for their virus."

Ivan gave a small applaud. The soldiers that had been listening in did not say anything.

"Well, your deductive skills are impressive, I'll give you that, Ike. But your analysis isn't quite 'on-the-ball' so to speak."

"Really? It makes sense to me."

"I can give you some credit, though. I'll just say that you're half-right. Umbrella does plan on using you and your friends as test subjects. But there's more than just that."

"What else is there?"

"You really think that I would tell you? You must be joking."

"It was a nice try."

"No. It wasn't."

They sat in silence for a few minutes. The only sound was that of the rotating chopper blades outside. Ike felt depressed. Things have been just going up and down for him lately.

First off, Zelda confesses to him that she loves him. This eventually results in the pair becoming boyfriend/girlfriend. Then things start going downhill from there, as soon after that, the tournament is up and running only to be delayed by the outbreak in Raccoon City. Ike then finds himself and the others running around in a city crawling with undead monsters. After surviving the outbreak, the smashers return to the mansion, where Master Hand opens a brand new tournament. Ike becomes the champion thereafter by defeating Lucario in a one on one fight. Now, he finds himself in Umbrella's chopper on a trip to God knows where. And his friends are all in danger.

"Where are we going?" asked Ike as he broke the silence.

Ivan was looking out the window but then turned to the swordsman.

"You'll soon see, sir," he replied.

"Are we going back to the city?"

"No. It's quite interesting though. By order of the US government, the city had been under construction ever since the outbreak in order to prevent another biohazard. They are going to build a wall around the city, protecting it from all outside dangers. The government believes that a tighter security around the perimeter will protect the residents from becoming infected with the virus."

"So, you're going to infect the city again?"

"No. that would be a waste of time and money."

"If the government knows who's been behind the attacks, why don't they put a stop to you guys?"

"They can never find us. We can always receive cover-up from terrorists and Tricell."

"What?"

"I'm surprised at you, Ike. I figured you to be the more heroic type, judging by your outward appearance. You didn't even try to fight my men."

"A dead man isn't worth much."

"True. But we never could have killed you anyway. You're to precious to our research."

"Am I? Then you could at least treat me with a little more respect."

"You know, I could try to interrogate you right now. But I won't. I'm more than a scientist. I am a gentleman."

Ike remembered the last time someone tried to interrogate him. It wasn't a pretty sight.

"Is Umbrella in any association with the Los Illuminados?"

"Not that I know of. The Illuminados are the ones who stole the virus in the first place. They planned to use it with the Plagas to create the ultimate bio-weapon."

"Wait. Wouldn't that make it their fault for the outbreak?"

"No. They never planned to use it on Raccoon City. The only reason why we unleashed the T-Virus was to intercept the plans of the Illuminados. It worked like a charm, too."

"Wow. You must be one of Umbrella's top researchers in order to know about this much information."

"I guess you could say I am. I did assist in the researching of the T-Virus and G-Virus."

"The G-Virus?"

"Nothing you need to worry about. Anyway, we've got a long trip ahead of us. I suggest you take a nap and save your energy. You're going to need it where we're going."

Ike didn't reply. He faced forward but averted his eyes again when he noticed he was staring at a soldier. Ike closed his eyes and began to dream.

_Ike was wandering the streets of Raccoon City. The city was completely empty. The streets were painted in crimson. The buildings surrounding him had blood dripping out of the windows. The city was destroyed. The cry of one thousand dead monsters rang through his head. Ike looked up the bloody street. An army of zombies could be seen stumbling towards him. He ran the other way as the zombies homed in on his position. He was relieved when he saw another army approach him from the other end. This army composed of humans, each of them bearing the Umbrella insignia on their left arm. _

"_Hey! Over here!" he cried to the soldiers. _

_The soldiers saw the survivor but took no notice of him as they soon passed him and headed toward the undead army. Ike stood still as the people ran past him. Gun fire soon filled the air as the soldiers engaged the zombies. Ike turned around to witness the fight. The soldiers fired off their SMGs rapidly at the approaching mob, but there were too many zombies. One by one, the soldiers started falling to the power of the T-Virus. The men ran to their doom as the amount of zombies was soon doubled. Soon, the only survivor left was Ike. And the mob continued to advance on him. He ran away as quick as he could. But for some reason, he felt slow. His feet could not carry him as fast as they normally could. He stopped when another mob approached him from the front. Ike was completely surrounded. The zombies were closing in on him fast. _

"_No! Stay back! Stay back I tell you!" _

_The monsters refused to listen. They couldn't. They were people no more. Just slaves to the virus. And that is all they'll ever be. Ike cried out as a rotting hand grabbed his neck and threw him the ground._

"Ike? Hey there," said Ivan.

Ike stirred in his sleep before jumping back into reality.

"Huh? Wh-what?"

"We're nearly there now. Just a few more minutes."

Ike sat up and shook his head.

"_Man, what a crazy dream..._"

He looked out the window to see night. It was getting dark quickly now. He had been asleep for 3 hours. Below, he could see a dense forest rising up out of the darkness.

"Where are we?" he asked.

"We've almost reached our destination. You will find your answers there," replied Ivan.

Ike looked out the window again only to see the dark stare back at him.

"_Why do I feel so relaxed? I should kill this guy! But something inside me is telling me that wouldn't be a good idea.._."

"There we go! You see it down there?" asked Ivan.

Ike looked out the window again. Still nothing but darkness.

"I don't see anything," he replied.

"Look with your eyes, not with your mouth."

Ike focused on the darkness. Soon, he saw a shape form in the dark. A rectangular object the size of the Smash Mansion. The forest surrounded it completely. As the chopper neared closer to it, Ike could make out what the object was.

"_A mansion?_"

Indeed it was a mansion. And a very ominous mansion at that. Ike couldn't believe what he was seeing.

"You're bringing us to a mansion?" asked Ike.

"Yes," replied Ivan.

"What for?"

Ivan was quiet. He looked away from Ike and out the other window at the darkness. Ike turned away and looked out the window too. The chopper soon touched down in front of the large building. Ike was the first to stand.

"Do you mind telling me what the hell we're doing here?" he asked seriously.

The soldiers did not reply but stood up and began to file out of the room. One lone soldier walked over to Ike and stood next to him. Ivan stood up, too.

"This is you're last stop, Ike," he said.

Ike raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

Ivan gave a nod to the soldier who replied with a nod. The soldier brought his weapon up high, ready to bring it down on Ike's head. Ike anticipated this and caught the attack before it happened. He began to crush the sodlier's hand inside of his. The soldier cried.

"Ahh! It hurts! Why is he so strong!?"

Ike squeezed hard and flipped the soldier over his head. He grabbed the soldiers weapon in the process and aimed it at Ivan.

"Now do you feel like answering my questions?" said Ike.

Ivan just smiled.

"I can if you'd like."

"Okay, what are you going to do with us?"

Ivan did not reply.

"Answer me!" shouted Ike as he propped the weapon up against Ivan's head.

Ivan could only chuckle. He knew that Ike did not have any experience with fire arms. He'd be surprised if Ike knew how to use a gun at all. But it was nearly impossible to miss at point-blank range, so Ivan had no choice but to follow through.

"We have brought you here for one reason and for one reason only. To test the power of our virus."

Ike wasn't satisfied. He wrapped his finger tightly around the trigger.

"There's more. I know there's more. Now tell me!"

"No."

Ivan continued to show a stupid grin. Ike was losing his patience. Actually, he completely lost it with this man.

"If you won't tell me, then I'm going to kill you," said Ike.

"Let's see it then, Ike. Shoot me."

Ike stared into Ivan's eyes. He tried to squeeze the trigger, but something was holding him back. He was just an innocent scientist. An unarmed man. Not even all the strength in Ike's body could get him to pull the trigger.

"You can't do it can you?" pressed Ivan.

Ike tried with all his might to fire, but sadly, nothing happened.

"You are weak, Ike. You can't even kill a-"

Ivan was cut off by the sound of a gun shot. He froze and stared at Ike with white eyes. Ike smiled down at him. The two stood there for a few seconds, examining each others eyes. It wasn't until Ike's shoulder started bleeding that he realized what really happened.

A soldier holding a smoking handgun was standing behind Ike.

Ivan wiped the sweat from his head as Ike dropped the SMG and fell to his knees.

"Like I said, Ike. You can't do it."

Ike fell forward on the cold, metal flooring of the transport. He turned his head to the side to see four clean black boots come towards him. He closed his eyes as his body was dragged out of the chopper.


	2. Umbrella's Intentions

After Dark: The Mansion Incident

**Author's Note:** Okay, I know this was unexpected, but yes, I am writing two fics at once that revolve around the same story. The reason? Well let's just say that I can't sit there and write lovey-dovey rainbow fun plots all day long. I need more horror. So, this story will be the remedy to my problem. One side for Horror, one side for Romance, both of which compose of Adventure. I think it works out pretty nicely. If you want to know what happened to Ike prior to the last chapter, visit my profile and read chapter one of After Dark: The Great Clancer War. Your questions will surely be answered.

-

Chapter 2: Umbrella's Intentions

Ike sat up on the clear granitebeneath him. He winced at the pain in his right shoulder. He was bleeding. He put his hand over the wound and squeezed it.

"_Ow...what happened back there?_"

Ike brought himself to his feet and looked around. He was standing in he foyer of a mansion. An old rundown mansion. Two large dark double doors stood behind him as the entrance. In front of him was a large set of stairs leading up to a portrait and other stairs going up perpendicular to the first one. A few potted plants stood in the corners of the room. Several other doors stood off to the side, one on the left and two on the east. A typewriter was sitting on a table next to the staircase. Outside, thunder could be heard. The windows flashed as lightning lit up the sky. Soon, rain pitter-pattered against the glass. Ike spun around while holding his wound.

"_What is this place?_"

"Ah. You're awake," said a familiar voice. The swordsman glanced around the room to locate the sound. No one was standing in he room with him. Ike planted his feet firmly to the ground before replying.

"Ivan! Where are you?!" he shouted. There was some silence for a moment. The sound of striking thunder broke it and Ivan's voice returned.

"You should not be worrying about where I am, Ike. You should be more concerned with your life...and that of your friends," said the voice. Ike's ears managed to locate the voice after hearing it a second time. A security camera was bolted to the ceiling in a corner of the large room. A small speaker hung underneath it. Ike looked directly into the camera and shouted.

"What did you do to them!?"

"Oh ho, don't need to get angry, they are in no danger. At least, not yet..." Ike scanned the empty room again. A small chill ran up his spine but he didn't show it. There was something wrong with this mansion. He looked back at the camera.

"Where have you brought me?"

"You sure ask a lot of questions. Nothing wrong with that, though. Any way to get the information you need, right?" Ike didn't reply. "Ahem. Let me give you a brief history on that of this mansion. Or should I say the original mansion."

"Huh?"

"10 years ago, in the summer of 1998, a mansion was infiltrated by the Special Tactics and Rescue Service, also known as STARS. Ring a bell?" Ike shook his head. It sounded familiar to him, but he couldn't quite put his finger on what it was. "The agents stumbled upon our establishment by accident. The Umbrella Research Facility. It was there where they encountered the fruits of our exploits. The T-Virus, in it's many different forms. Unfortunately, our spy was discovered amongst the group of officers. Soon, the very few survivors managed to destroy our creations along with the mansion that bred them all."

"So, you rebuilt it."

"This building where you stand is an exact replica of the old Research Facility. Moved out of the Arklay Mountains, and into a secured rural area."

"And let me guess. You revived all the experiments that died with the mansion 10 years ago."

"Almost. We didn't revive, but we created anew. The creatures within the boundaries of this facility are even more powerful than their counterparts. Our goal to create the ultimate bio-weapon is still fresh in our minds. We believe in creating a perfect world; a world populated by Hybrid human beings. The T-Virus and Uroburos are our only chance. And you, Ike, are going to be the guinea pig of this operation. In fact, all of you will. You seem like a worthy subject to test out the strength of my creatures."

"You know, for a scientist, you're pretty dumb. I mean, telling me all your plans like that."

"Don't you worry, Ike. You won't be living long enough to tell anyone. But, if by some odd chance you manage to escape the mansion alive, I'm going to have to go back to the drawing boards."

"It won't take me long to get out of here. When I find wherever you're hiding, I'm going to kill you. Understand?"

"You are in no position to be making threats, my friend."

"You're no friend of mine. I don't even know why I'm listening to you talk. If you want to settle something, come down here and face me like a man."

"Please Ike, don't try to bluff me. Fighting is for the Neanderthals who don't have a more intelligent way of solving problems. You do what you wish, but I'm remaining where I stand. Someone has to keep an eye on you." Ike grimaced at the camera and noticed the large doors behind him.

"You forgot one thing, 'Einstein'. The front doors are still open," said Ike.

"They are? I could have sworn that they locked them!" replied Ivan.

"I'm getting out of here. Then, I'm coming for you," said Ike as he grasped the doorknob.

He pulled the door towards him and stared out into the dark, rainy forest. He glanced back and forth. Everything was as black as night. He couldn't see three feet in front of himself. Ike thought he heard growling sounds in the darkness. "It's a little dark outside..." he muttered to himself as he stepped into the rain. Thunder boomed in the night air. The growling continued. Ike leaned forward in the darkness to see if he could see the source of the sound. A crack of lightning revealed the face of a Doberman leap into Ike's face.

The swordsman was thrown back into the mansion with the beast on top of him. It snapped and bit at his face violently. He held it back with his bloody hands. The teeth sank into the palms of his hands, but he fought back the pain. Ike winced when drops of blood splattered onto his face. He stuck his foot up and flipped the dog over his body. The monster landed on the staircase and began to tumble down it, whimpering as it went. Ike got to his feet, wiping the blood on his pants. The dog struggled to stand. It had several flesh wounds on it's side and face. Half of the bottom lip was missing, revealing long, sharp bloody fangs. The monster continued to growl. This Doberman was obviously infected with the T-Virus. But, the whole thing was new to Ike entirely.

"What is that thing?!" he shouted to no one in particular.

"Ah, looks like one of the Cerberus' has come to pay you a visit," said Ivan's voice. The dog began to walk towards Ike, looking for weak points. The animal was sniffing loudly. Ike slammed the door shut behind him. He didn't need any more of those things breaking in.

The dog leaped up into the air at the swordsman. Ike dodged to the side. The beast recovered and tackled him in the back. Ike flew towards the staircase. He managed to grab the railing and keep his balance. The dog was now charging towards him, readying for another strike. Ike had to think quickly. There was no way he would be able take out this thing unarmed. Ike glanced around for any kind of object he could use as a weapon. The first thing he noticed was the black typewriter on the table near him. The dog uat the swordsman one last time. Ike quickly grabbed the typewriter and slammed it into the skull of the Doberman as it was about to bite him. The dog flew across the room and slammed into the wall. It fell to the floor, leaving a gross trail of blood along the wall. The typewriter was covered in blood and rotting brain matter. Ike drop his weapon on the floor. He felt sick. But the feeling left him when he heard Ivan's voice again.

"Oh good show! You really know how to be resourceful, Ike!" he said. Ike looked into the camera eye.

"What sick game are you playing at!?" he shouted.

"My dear friend, I told you already. You're my guinea pig for the testing of the BOW's. You are going to help me. But don't think that I'm a scoundrel. No. I'm prepared to make a deal with you. If you can get through all the creatures lurking about the mansion, and if you and your friends can make your escape, I will let you live."

"You want me to help you in exchange for my own life."

"Not just yours, but that of your friends as well. Isn't that what you want, Ike? To escape?" Ike stood still for a moment and pondered the situation. He stared at the zombie carcass on the floor.

"_If I take him up on his offer, I'll have to fight all the monsters running around this hell-house. But on the other hand, I have a chance at freeing my friends and getting out of here for good. Leaving right now is out of the question. I guess I only have one way to go._"

Ike turned back to the camera.

"Okay, Anderson. You've got a deal. But you have to guarantee my friends' safety," said the swordsman. There was silence before a reply.

"That I cannot guarantee. Whether your friends survive or not is entirely up to you. You'll have to make sure they survive. I will monitor your progress with these cameras wired throughout the house. I be able to hear any conversation you have with other people. However, I will not speak unless you contact me. I can give you hints on how to navigate your way around the facility, but I cannot aid you in battle against the creatures. Any time you engage one the BOW's, I will not say anything. And if you just happen to be on the verge of death, do not come to me seeking help. I will not say anything. Everything you do from here on in, will be based on your own instincts and reasoning skills. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes," replied Ike as he nodded his head.

"Good. Now off you go. I'll be keeping a watch on you."

"Wait, where do I start?"

"Anywhere you'd like. This is a mansion. There tons of rooms to explore; some of which may contain some surprises..."

"Okay. Thanks. But, I'm still going to kill you when I get out of here."

"Whatever you wish. It's virtually impossible to get to me from where you are anyway."

"You'll get yours." Ike looked around the foyer. No monsters in sight, save for a dead dog on the ground near the door. He remembered that he was bleeding in the shoulder from a bullet wound. "Hey, what do I do about this?" he asked as he held the wound.

"Like I said, explore. Anything you find in this mansion is yours for the keeping. We made sure to make it an exact replica of the original. It's unfortunate that you never got to see the original."

"Don't know if I want to."

Ike walked over to the potted plants and examined each one. Nothing of use was hidden in the leaves or dirt. Ike scouted all the way around the room, even checking underneath the staircase. Again he found nothing except for a barred metal door. He cursed to himself.

"_Where am I supposed to find something to patch up this wound?_"

He walked back in front of the stairs. He looked down at the bloody typewriter and a table. A small drawer was poking out the side of the table. Ike went over and opened the compartment. His face lit up when he discovered a green can of First Aid Spray. He knew what this did. Ike quickly pulled out the can and undid the cap. He pulled the armour off his shoulder and applied the medicine. Instantly, he felt revitalized. He covered up the blood stain with his shoulder armour and clipped the half empty can to his belt.

"_Okay, now that I'm better, it's time to kick some ass._"

Ike ran to the nearest door on the west wall and entered. The wooden barrier creaked open as he stepped in.

"A dining room?" he asked out loud. A large table decorated with a white table cloth and candles sat in the centre of the long room. Chairs were lying around unorganized as some of them were knocked over. The only sound in the room was that of a green grandfather clock that was standing on the side. A fire crackled under a mantle on the other side of the room. He noticed a balcony that overlooked the entire room on the second floor. Ike examined the table. He needed a weapon, otherwise he wouldn't stand a fighting chance against these freaks. The first thing he noticed was a shiny piece of metal from the corner of his eye. The steak knife was small, but it seemed stable enough to hold off an attack from a zombie. Ike grabbed the black and handle and tossed it around in his hand. He raised it up high and slammed it down into the table. The knife pierced the wood all the way until it met the handle. He pulled it out and examined the gouge he put into the wood.

"_This will do._"

The swordsman continued his way through the room. He passed by the grandfather clock on the way. He walked over to the fire, knife clenched in his fists. A bronze emblem resembling a shield was mounted above the mantle, along with two small swords. Ike smirked. He strapped the knife to his leg and reached up to grab the two weapons. He swung them around playfully to get feel for them. To him, the swords felt as light as the steak knife. He put one back on the wall and kept the other. Ike turned to the chair sitting behind him and he slashed it in half with the sword.

"_Excellent._"

He turned to the next door and exited the room. He found himself in a dark hallway, the only light coming from that of the moon from a window outside. He felt another chill run up this spine, this time because of the cold. There was no wind, yet the walls seemed to be emanating some kind of chill. Ike tensed his muscles. He didn't know if he was prepared for this or not. Even though his friends' lives were at stake, he felt kind of relaxed. And that was a strange feeling.

He felt somehow departed from his fellow brawlers. Not because he cast them off on his own, no, because they seemed to cast him off. Zelda was his most trusted and loyal friend, not only that but she was his girlfriend, so that made her extra special. But she was injected with the T-Virus. Would Umbrella still use her if she's infected? Or would they lock her up somewhere in a basement and perform a series of tests on her? What are the odds that she's even in this mansion. Ike stopped thinking about it. He can't stand seeing Zelda in pain. She doesn't deserve such a thing. Zelda was one of the most giving people that Ike knew. And for her to suffer like that was just wrong and inhumane. If the situation ever called for it, Ike would be more than happy to throw his life in the way of danger for her. Well, here he is, wandering the hallways of a run-down mansion in search of his friends. Why? Because he had no choice. He'd save Zelda's life no matter the cost if he had to. But some of the other creeps don't even deserve to be rescued. Like Wario. He's mean, he's rude, he doesn't take care of his hygiene, and h doesn't give a flying shit about what anyone else cares. Why would Ike risk his life to save someone like that?

"_Man, I am way too nice_."

It was just the other day that Ike and Marth caught Wario picking on little Lucas. Man did he get a whooping. Ike's always hated Wario's guts, and that was a lot of hate when comparing it to Wario's guts, quite literally. But still, he can't forget about the Subspace Emissary. It was a different time then. When the forces of good and evil would join together to defeat one common enemy. They were all friends then. But as the months went by, they started losing touch with each other. The smashers would tend to hang around those who they liked, not who they lived with. Some of them became no more than mere shadows on the wall with not so much as a "Hello" in the morning over breakfast. Whatever happened to the good old days? The good old days where competition wasn't an issue in the mansion. Master Hand holds his tournaments, everyone has to join, they kill each other, and the whole thing is repeated in a never ending cycle. How can one live in such repetition? Ike realized that the smashers have forgotten what it's like to have fun. That fighting in the tournaments, in the matches, is not about who wins or loses, but about fun. Having that opportunity to spend time with those you care about. And as the number of brawls started to decrease, so did the number of friendly gestures and comments.

"_When we get home, I'm going to set up a nice soccer field in the courtyard. Maybe that will get everyone's spirits back where they belong_."

Ike returned to his reality of horror and sighed. It's just been one disaster after another. Sometimes, he wishes that he never got mixed up in this mess. The mess involving the Subspace Army, the mess involving Raccoon City, the mess involving the Los Illuminados, and this mess, the creepy mansion. So many messes that have to be cleaned, but that is impossible. His mind will be scarred forever after this. And he knew this for a fact too. His friends were counting on him, and he couldn't let them down. Ike walked up to the first door in front of him. Locked. He took a step back and hacked at it with his thin sword. The weapon pierced through, but not with the destructive force the swordsman was expecting. He yanked his sword out of the small slit it made in the wood. He looked down the hall to see two more doors, one on the left wall and one directly at the end. Ike moved down to the one on the left. It was locked too. He tried the next one. Locked again. He was beginning to lose his patience. How was he supposed to save his friends if the doors to the mansion were all locked? He slammed his fist into the wall.

"Dammit Ivan! You planned this from the beginning!" he yelled. There was no reply. Ike looked at a corner of the ceiling to see a white camera staring down at him. He saw his reflection in the lens. "Are you listening?!" he barked at the machine. Again, no reply. He was beginning to wonder if the scientist had ditched him. Maybe Ivan knew that Ike was going to die soon and gave up on monitoring him. Or maybe he had something better to do. Ike kicked at the moldy carpet beneath his feet before heading back down the hall.

He stopped moving when he heard something ahead of him. It was the dragging of damp feet on carpet. Ike had never heard that sound before, but the one following it quickly grabbed his attention. It was a low moan. A slow moving person turned the corner and started stumbling towards Ike, arms outstretched. Ike couldn't see the features of the person's face due to the moonlight behind it. All he could see was the silhouette of a zombie heading towards him. At first, Ik didn't know what to do. He just stood there, horrified by what he was witnessing. But the monster kept coming. It was about to cut Ike off from his only escape route. The swordsman snapped himself out of the trance and went into his fighter stance. He's seen these things before. And he wasn't about to lose it completely.

"Prepare yourself!" he shouted as he pointed his blade at the zombie. The monster didn't seem to care what he was saying as it just kept moaning; calling out for the fresh meat before him. Ike ran up to the monster and slashed across the chest with his weapon. The zombie stumbled backwards from the force of Ike's efforts, but started moving forward again. Ike slashed again, but the zombie just absorbed the attack this time and grabbed Ike's neck. He dropped his sword when they connected. The zombie brought it's head in to take a bite out of the swordsman's neck. Ike acted fast. He pulled out the steak knife and jammed it into one of the zombie's eyeballs. The monster backed off from him and continued to moan. Ike took the opportunity to collect his sword and retreat back into the dining room.

"_It's too narrow in here! I need more room to fight_!"

The zombie lunged for Ike's cape as he opened the door, but it missed. Ike burst into the dining room and was met face to face by that of the barrel of a magnum revolver. He flinched at the sight.

"Get down!" called a familiar voice. Ike ducked just in time as a bullet flew over his head and straight through the skull of the zombie entering behind him. The head exploded causing blood and brains to flying in all directions. Ike covered himself with his cape just in time. The creature collapsed and a pool of blood slowly appeared under it. Ike stood up and examined the corpse.

The zombie used to be a middle-aged man and was wearing a bloody green dinner jacket. He was also bald. The knife was still wedged into his eye socket. Ike nearly gagged at the smell but turned his attention to his saviour.

"Thank you so much...what?..." he started.

"Got a problem?" replied the racer as he reloaded his weapon.

"Fa-Falcon? You...how...How did you get here?" asked Ike stuttering a bit. Captain Falcon holstered his magnum and wiped his face with the back of his glove.

"I managed to escape from those Umbrella freaks before they locked me up," he explained. Surprisingly, Captain Falcon had no blood stains on him at all.

"_He must have only got here just recently_."

Ike looked down at the corpse in the hallway and closed the door on it. He thn turned back to the racer.

"I'm here to rescue you and the others," he said.

"But, you seemed to have rescued yourself."

"Well, not really. I mean, we're still in this mansion. And our friends are still captured."

"Do you know where they are?"

"No. I got away, but I didn't get a chance to see where they were keeping them. I know for a fact though, Umbrella is not going to inject them with the T-Virus."

"They won't?"

"Yep. To them, we are valuable. Valuable in the sense that there is no one else that could test the full capacity of the virus and survive. We are strong, which makes us perfect adversaries for Umbrella's suck creations."

"I see." Suddenly, a pathetic laugh echoed through the dining room.

"Ha ha ha! Great job Ike! You have found one of your friends! So early too! I actually thought that zombie had you cornered. Who knew that you would put that steak knife to such good use." Ike and Falcon looked up to the corner of the dining room to see a camera staring down at them.

"Who is that guy, Ike?" asked Captain Falcon.

"His name is Ivan. He's involved in the capturing of our friends. I owe him a good beating for putting me through that."

"Okay. I get it." Captain Falcon pointed a gloved finger up at the camera. "Hey twinkle-toes! Hoe about you get your ass down here and help us out! I'll promise not to kill you!"

"Ike, you should really teach that barbarian some manners."

"Barbarian!? My name is Captain Falcon! Captain! Fucking! Falcon! You'd be smart to remember it!" "

Don't make him mad! We ned him if we're going to survive," said Ike whispering.

"Oh sorry. I was just trying to intimidate him, you know? Make him fear us," responded the racer quietly.

"Well don't. You sound like an idiot. Let me do the talking. Um, excuse me Ivan?"

"Yes, Ike?"

"Where did that zombie come from? I mean, what was his life before he became a slave to the virus?"

"Ah, a very good question indeed. That man, as well as the other people in the mansion, were all hand picked specifically from Raccoon City only a few months ago. I'm sure you know about that."

"You kidnapped the residents of Raccoon City for your own twisted and sick purposes."

"Well, it was either bring them here, or let them be destroyed by the nuclear blast. I think we get more use out of them that way."

"You make me sick."

"We get that a lot."

"No, I'm serious. Does it not even matter to you that these people all had lives once? What if one of your family members was in Raccoon City when the outbreak happened. Would you fish them out and use them for further testing or let them be incinerated by flames? Huh?" Ivan did not reply. The two survivors just stood there and waited for an answer. After 15 seconds, which seemed like an hour, Ivan spoke up.

"I'll get back to you gentlemen." Ivan's turned off his microphone. The two stood in more silence and stared at the camera.

"Wow, you really hit him hard there, Ike," said Falcon.

"I did didn't I? I wonder what caused him to get all upset like that?" replied the swordsman. Falcon shrugged his shoulders.

"Ah whatever. Who cares what that sleaze-ball's doing. Our priority is to save our friends. So let's jump on it."

"Right." Ike holstered his short sword to his belt. The pair made their way out of the dining room and back into the foyer. They both stood in teh middl of the large room and looked around to see if they missed anything before. Nope.

"Man this place is big. It'll take us forever to find everyone," said Captain Falcon.

"Yes, it will be difficult," replied the swordsman. "Just as long as we stay calm, we should be fine. By the way, which way did you come in from?"

"Outside. Over there." Ike looked at the front doors and at the dog corpse on the ground.

"How is that possible? There are monsters out there!"

"I know. But I managed to escape from the soldiers who had the area secured. So, I was able to avoid any freaks and make it into the mansion. But my suits still wet from the rain."

"Ah, I see that."

They both stood in silence again. It was starting to get really awkward. Ike was actually getting really worried about Captain Falcon lately. He had lost in the preliminaries of the tournament to the one and only Samus Aran. Ike always knew Falcon had something against Samus, but somehow, after the outbreak, he seemed changed. Almost as if he underwent some kind of transformation. If that was the case, then maybe the outbreak in Raccoon City wasn't so bad. Ike wondered if Falcon ever had anything against him for taking the place of Smash Champion at the tournament. Falcon wanted that trophy really badly, but now it was Ike's. It kind of crept up on Ike as they were standing in silence.

"Um. So you want to start up there?" asked Ike nervously. Captain Falcon was studying the dog before he replied.

"Why not? At least we'll be getting somewhere. Unlike standing here and staring at that carcass."

"Heh. Yeah." They both walked up the large set of stairs and examined the portrait at the top. "Wonder what this is about?" asked Ike.

"It's kind of creepy," replied Falcon. The portrait portrayed a naked baby being baptized in water by the devil. The baby was crying and the demon was laughing. It sent more chills up Ike's spine.

"Okay, I can't stare at that," he said turning away.

"Hey, wait. Look here. There's a doorknob." The portrait was actually a door, with a camouflaged doorknob cleverly hidden in the water of the picture. "It's unlocked," said Falcon as he twisted it.

"I have a bad feeling about this. I mean, look at that picture!" responded Ike.

"Ike, I've been having bad feelings ever since I set foot in this madhouse. Besides, if we're ever going to find our friends, we'll need to explore every single room."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," said Ike turning to face the disturbing door.

"Come on."

Captain Falcon opened the heavy door and they both stepped out into the darkness.

-

**Author's Note:** You will be seeing a lot of references from Resident Evil 1 in this story, just a little heads up. That puts those guys at an advantage over new readers because they already have an idea what the mansion looks like. Oh, and that part where Falcon goes "Get down!" is such a bad rip off from RE2, but I thought it would be cool. And I bet you guys never knew a typewriter could be that handy. Anyway, how do you lik it so far? Please Review! Please tell me what you thought!


	3. Anything is a Weapon

After Dark: The Mansion Incident

Chapter 3: Anything is a Weapon

The sound of a scratchy moan brought Ike and Captain Falcon to attention. They were standing in a dark courtyard. A courtyard that had been transformed into a graveyard. All around them amongst the tall grass stood tomb stones, all of them bearing the names of different people. A lone zombie stood in the grass staring into space. It didn't seem to notice the two survivors walk out. The sound of the metal door closing caused the monster to turn around. Ike and Falcon just stood at the top of the stone stairs and watched the zombie approach them.

"What do we do about that guy?" asked Ike.

"We do what we did to the last one," replied Captain Falcon. "But I'm short enough on bullets as it is."

"I'll try the sword again."

"Aim for the head. That is the most vulnerable spot."

"Gotcha."

The zombie crept up the small stairs to the survivors waiting at the top. Ike readied his weapon. When the monster lunged at him, Ike attacked. He slashed sideways across the throat. The zombie's head flew clean off and tumbled down the stairs. The body stood still for a few seconds before falling to the ground, creating a pool of blood around it. Ike tapped his bloody sword on the ground.

"Not too difficult," he said calmly.

"No, they're not. Let's keep going. We're bound to find something out here." The two walked down the stairs and started to explore their new surroundings. Ike examined a bunch of tombstones that were tightly grouped together, but found nothing. Falcon was checking out the metal fence on the other side.

"Hey, I just realized something," he said from across the courtyard.

"What's that?"

"The rain stopped." Ike looked up at the sky. True, the rain had ceased, but the black clouds still remained to cover the night air. It was still cold out.

"That is strange," commented Ike. He went deeper into the graveyard. After passing by some more graves, Ike found himself standing in front of of a massive tombstone that towered over his head. The picture of an angel holding a bow and arrow was embedded into the stone. "Hey Falcon, look at this," he called to his friend.

"What is it?" asked the racer as he came up from behind.

"It looks like something goes there." Ike pointed to the arrow head of te angel's weapon. There was a little grove where the arrow head should be. "It's missing a piece."

"You don't think we're supposed to put something there do you?"

"I don't know. Ivan did mention something about puzzles earlier. This may have been what he was talking about. This could lead to a secret entrance beneath this tomb."

"Maybe. But we don't know for sure. Let's head back inside. There's nothing left out here."

"Okay." Both of them walked back through the metal door and into the mansion.

"I swear, this place gets creepier and creepier the more we stay here," said Falcon. Ike did not reply. He just wanted to get out of here. But in order to do that, he would have to find all his friends. He did the math in his head.

"_If Link, Samus, Snake and Sonic got transported somewhere else then they are safe. Captain Falcon's here with me, so that leaves about thirty of them. They could have taken Master Hand hostage, too_."

Ike turned to his partner.

"We may have to split up if we're going to find them all on time," he said. Captain Falcon raised an eyebrow beneath his helmet.

"Split up? That's crazy. If we split up there's a better chance for us to get killed."

"Yes, but at the same time there's a better chance for us to find everyone. Get what I'm saying?"

"Yeah. But I still think it's crazy."

"It may be the only chance we have of saving them. We can cover more ground if we split up."

"I'm willing to go my own way, only if you promise not to get yourself killed."

"I promise if you promise."

"Deal." They both shook hands.

"I will cover the west side, while you take the east," said the swordsman.

"Okay. Be careful."

"You too." They both walked in opposite directions up the two stairs on either side.

"Hey Ike."

"Yeah?"

"If you ever get yourself into trouble, give me a holler. I'll be there."

"Okay. Thanks."

The two friends parted for good when Ike grabbed the doorknob in front of him and opened the door. He stepped into what looked like the balcony to the dining room. It was the balcony to the dining room. A fresh wooden railing crept around the room. The swordsman looked over the edge to see the table he had investigated earlier. The same table he found the steak knife. Ike whistled.

"_This place is huge_."

It reminded him of the Smash Mansion, although it was no where near as big as this one. It was much easier to navigate through too, but the interior of it was somewhat similar to that of this madhouse. Thirty five separate rooms lined the hallways of the second level of Smash Mansion, each and every one belonging to that of a smasher. Ike had to admit, he did live the life of the rich and famous. Every morning he would get a large breakfast composing of ham, steak, eggs, toast, fruit, pancakes, stewed tomatoes, and a choice of juice or milk. Every day at noon he could choose to make his own lunch or ask one of his friends to make one for him, usually Peach because she was so nice and could cook like no one else. In the evening, the smashers would feast on the banquet presented before them by Master Hand himself. The sight of this dining room from above reminded him of the dining room he used to eat in. Large portraits of smashers and previous tournament champions lined the walls. Lit candles usually covered the table for decoration. Stained glass windows portraying certain characters would be on the opposite wall. Every fighter would get their own seat; Ike's being next to Zelda and Marth. Those were the good old days. Eating together. Talking together. Partying together. All the influences on his life for the pat year had been by those weird people he calls friends. Without them, Ike's life would be nothing but an empty shell. He would fight in the army as a general, forced to witness the bloodshed of strangers and allies alike. That wasn't living. The sight of men dying before your own eyes was like the equivalent of witnessing your own death in the third person. Surely there was more to life than just fighting. There certainly was more to life than wandering though a run down mansion. But he wasn't in control of the situation. The only thing Ike hated about the Smash Brothers was the fact that he could never make his own decisions. Master Hand called all the shots with what went on between tournaments and free time. The smashers couldn't talk to each other without his okay. They couldn't play games with each other without his okay. And they certainly couldn't leave the mansion without his okay either. Which, in a sense, makes Raccoon City seem like a good thing because there was no one to tell Ike what to do there. Everything he did was based of his own actions, not someone else's. But now, he was back in the same square he started. Ivan Anderson was calling the shots now. And this time, his life was at stake, along with the rest of his smashers.

"_Man, life sucks_."

Zelda was probably the best thing Ike was ever blessed with. All the friends and memories come and go on their own, but Zelda...She was different. She was the only one that understood Ike's pain. His pain that caused him to be so isolated from the others. She was the one who would comfort him in times of need. They shared secrets with each other. They went through hard times together. She was the closest thing Ike had to family. And she hasn't even related to him. But no, that very sam person is trapped in this nightmare, and there's no one that can rescue her except her hero. Life was like a racing dragster. You try to get a good look at it, but it ends up blowing right past you before you knew what happened. That's how Ike felt right now. There were so many things he wanted change about his life; so many memories he wanted to reflect on; but he couldn't. The thought of being eaten by the T-Virus clouded his trail of thought. He tapped his sword on the railing gently. The cold sound echoed throughout the room.

"_This place...it feels so dead. There is no life. There never were any dinners in this room. There never were any parties or gatherings. This building was designed for one purpose and one purpose only: To test my strength. And if Ivan wants a fight, that's what I'm going to give him. I've had enough of this shit. No more running away. I'm going to find you Zelda. I promise. And if I have to forfeit my life in order to save yours, that's just what I'm going to do_."

Ike seethed his sword and walked around the balcony from the left side. He came across a large stone statue of a woman wrapped in towels. It was standing in his way. He tried to slide past it, but it didn't leave enough room for him between the railing and the wall. Why was it here anyway? Ike just shrugged his shoulders, but he jumped at attention when he heard another low moan. A zombie dressed in a white dinner jacket was parading around on the other side of the statue, trying to get at the swordsman's flesh. It was too stupid to notice the heavy statue in front of it as it continued to run into it, thinking that it wasn't there. It was comical as Ike gave a subtle laugh at this. He had a clear view of the bleeding monster as it attempted to go around the obstacle, but to no avail. Ike was debating what he should do in a situation like this.

"_If he's immobile, I can just go the other way around and beat him to the door. Or I could try to kill him from here. No, the statue is still in the way. Hmm. Maybe_..." I

ke put his hands up against the base of the statue and pushed. It slid across the carpeted floor steadily. The zombie did not notice the statue pushing it towards the edge of the railing. Ike shoved it with ease. The statue weighed no lighter than his Ragnell. In a few seconds, the statue boxed the zombie up against the railing. With one final push, the railing broke causing the zombie and the statue to fall to the dining room table below. The monster landed head first onto the table, followed by a heavy woman that broke the table in half and smashed open. Ike lay on the ground and leaned over the edge at the scene. He paused momentarily before laughing. And the strange thing was, he couldn't control himself. Something inside him was telling him that it was funny. Funny to push monsters off the edge so that they fall 20 feet down to a tile floor. Any sane person would immediately leave the room when realizing what he did. But Ike, he just sat there and laughed at himself. He had to admit it was fun to kill that creature in such a unique way. It was fun to kill. The swordsman stopped laughing instantly when he thought of this.

"_Killing is not something to laugh about. That man had a life. And now it is over because of me. There is nothing funny about that. But, if that's true why was I laughing_?"

Ike stood up and brushed the dust off himself. He took one last look over the railing before making his way around to the other side of the balcony. He couldn't get that feeling out of his head. That feeling of revenge.

"_Oh, he wants to test me does he? Well, there you go. I just destroyed that thing like it was nothing. I'm humiliating him and he doesn't even realize it. I'm so much smarter than he is. If things keep up at this rate, Zelda and the others will all be safe and sound at home_."

He needed someone to brag to about his victory, but Captain Falcon left. They had agreed to split up. Ike noticed a white camera hanging from the ceiling in a corner and was instantly reminded if his enemy.

"Hey Ivan! You awake in there?" he shouted at the eye. There was some silence for a while. He was beginning to think Ivan had ditched him for good.

"Hello, Ike. Good to see you're doing well," said the scientist's voice. Ike folded his arms and stood leaning to the side a bit like a moody teenager.

"Did you see how I killed that guy? I didn't even need to use my weapon. They're pretty dumb," bragged the swordsman.

"I'm well aware of that one's death. Remember, I can see everything you are doing at any given time. Oh, and your friend is also on monitor here too, just to be safe."

"I thought you said you wanted to test my strength. I'm not impressed yet."

"No, I said I want you to test the strength of my creatures."

"Still not impressed."

"Just you wait, my friend. You've been having it easy so far because you've only had to worry about one person: Yourself. When others' lives are on the line, your impression of the monsters will change. You won't see the harmless, slow moving zombies in the dinner jackets. You'll see the true power of the T-Virus in it's purest form."

"I can't wait."

"You seem to be taking this serious matter rather lightly. In this building, you either kill or be killed. Does it not occur to you that your friend-"

"His name is Falcon."

"Right. As I was saying, does it not occur to you that _Falcon_could very well be dead right now? You are both separated. You could wander into a room and find him sprawled on the floor, murdered by the monsters in this mansion."

"I'm sure you would tell me if something like that happened."

"As I said before, I'm here merely to observe. If you would rather not speak with me than I bade you farewell until you feel like talking. Oh, and I would watch the door if I was you." Ike glanced at the new door before him as the horizontal doorknob creaked open. Two gruesome humanoids walked out with their arms out, as if they were going to hug something. Ike jumped back on instinct and reached for his thin sword. Ivan was laughing behind the camera. Ike cursed loudly as the two zombies stumbled towards him. Both of them had blood drooling from their mouths. Their skins were a pale grey color and they were both wearing dinner jackets similar to the last zombie. He needed a plan if he was going to get out of this. Ike analyzed the situation.

"_Great, more of them. Just what I need at a time like this. But I won't back down. I can't. I just got to look through this carefully. Now. It's too narrow up here to run past them. They outnumber me so using the sword is out of the question. I could always run around the balcony to the other side. No, I can't, they would just follow me into the next room. Or maybe, I could use the sword to take out one of them, and find another way to kill the other. That could work. It just might work_..."

Ike reared back and tossed his sword aggressively. It spun through the air at intense speeds and collided with the first zombie's brain. The monster, with a sword wedged in its head, fell down with one last moan. The second one walked over it's comrades body like it was part of the flooring. Te swordsman backed away slowly as the creature moved towards him.

"Ho-hum, what are you going to do now, Ike?" taunted Ivan's voice. Ike grimaced at the camera eye, before an idea came to his head. He gave a small smirk. He started to run back towards the zombie. "What's he up to?" asked Ivan. The swordsman gave a battle cry when he leaped up onto the zombie's shoulders and rocketed off of them. The weight of the armored warrior caused the zombie to fall to the ground, but that didn't stop Ike from completing his plan. He flew up to the corner of the ceiling with his arms out stretched. He grasped the camera and hung from the ceiling by the neck of it. "What are you doing?!" cried Ivan.

"Something new," responded the swordsman. With that, Ike yanked the camera from out of the ceiling and landed back on his feet. The monster brought itself to it's feet and started approaching the swordsman for the second time. Ike ran up and jammed the sparkling equipment into the mouth of the zombie. Sparks flew everywhere as the zombie spazzed out. It eventually fell to the ground as smoke drifted up from it's body into the air. Ike wiped the sweat from his head.

"_Not what I had in mind, but I'm not complaining_."

He looked back up at the corner to see a hole in the ceiling with sparking wires poking out. He gave another smirk.

"_Talk about being resourceful_."

Ike collected his sword and exited through the open door into the next hallway.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Ivan stared at the static screen in front of him. He couldn't bring the words to react to what just happened. Ike, the guinea pig of this operation, had somehow manage to deactivate one of the security cameras. But how was it possible? All the cameras wired throughout the mansion were too high to be touched by anyone. Somehow, the swordsman had found a way to jump high enough to pull the camera down from the ceiling. If he did that to the other ones, Ivan would have no way of monitoring him or the others. The scientist leaned back in his leather chair and looked at his vast collecting of security monitors. He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and clapped his hands once.

"Good show. I don't know how you did it, but I'm impressed. You certainly are more than I expected. This may work out even better than I planned," he said out loud. An Umbrella soldier walked up behind him. His face was covered by is helmet. He didn't find it difficult to see anything in the dark room though.

"Sir, do you want me to go down there now?" he asked, his voice muffled by his head gear. Ivan leaned forward in his seat again and stared at the static screen.

"No, not yet Clyde. It's too early. We need to give him some time. Some hope that will make him believe it's possible to save all his friends. He's put up a good fight so far, I'll give him that. But for Ike, the nightmare has only just begun. Prepare to release the hunters in a few hours. I would like to give our guest a run for his money," explained the scientist without even looking at his companion. Clyde gave a salute.

"Understood sir. What about the other one?"

"The other one?"

"The other survivor. The one who escaped. Shall I send in support troops to get rid of him?"

"No, that won't be necessary. I want them all to experience the same pain I felt. The same pain I felt on that day...in Raccoon City."

"You told me already, sir."

"Oh did I?"

"Yes, you keep trying to bring it up."

"Oh dear, pardon me. It's just one of those things that you just _have_to tell people, you know what I mean? It makes me feel relaxed when I talk to others about it."

"Well, I already know about your story sir. It's a very tragic one at that."

"I know. I'm glad you understand, Clyde."

"I'm happy to be of some use to you."

"Yes." The two sat there in silence and stared at the black and white screens before them. Each monitor depicted a room of the mansion, along with all the monsters ad items located in them. Others on the side showed images of the outside of the mansion, to make sure no unwanted guests decided to trespass on the testing grounds. Ivan gave a small cough before pulling out a small communicator. "I better inform Mr. Wesker on the situation. You may return to your former duties, Clyde," said Ivan.

"Thank you sir." The soldier walked out of the room, the dark door sliding shut automatically behind him. Ivan sat in his seat with the device in his hand before turning it on. He brought the small machine up to the side of his head.

"Yes?" said a low voice on the other end. Ivan cleared his throat before replying.

"Sir, the experiment is coming along just as we planned," he replied.

"Really now? Give me a moment." Wesker's voice got slightly quieter. Ivan could tell his voice wasn't being directed into the communicator. "Interesting. Still resisting at such an advanced stage..." Ivan could hear other voices in the background and some yelling. Just what was happing over there. He gave another cough as Wesker spoke into the device again. "Sorry about that. I had some unfinished business to take care of. What's the news on the operation?"

"Everything is going along smoothly. The little 'hero' is going to attempt to rescue all his missing comrades. He is still unaware that he's been infected with the new T-Virus sample."

"Ah, excellent. Have those shipped over right away after the experiment."

"Okay sir. How are things with Uroburos coming?"

"Redfield is back. But he's been taken care of now. If there are no more interruptions, things should continue as planned."

"Good. Are there any more standing orders?"

"Not yet. I'll be sure to inform you if something comes up. Keep to the plan. Do not let the test subjects know of your whereabouts. Most importantly, don't let them get a hold of the new sample. If Uroburos fails, I'll need the T-Virus to fulfill what is missed."

"Very good sir. I will not let you down." The scientist clicked off his device and folded it back into his pant pocket. He looked back at the monitors. He couldn't stop thinking about how resourceful this survivor was.

He remembered back ten years ago to the first mansion hidden in the Arklay Mountains. All the STARS members who had invaded the facility were armed with handguns and other firearms. Most of them were all killed off by the monsters, leaving only a few survivors to finish off what Umbrella had started. The amazing thing was, this swordsman was killing off experiments one by one without the use of a firearm. He did receive help from Captain Falcon earlier, but that was just one zombie. All the other monsters Ike had engaged were all killed using simple problem solving skills and the simple belief that any object can be used as a weapon. None of the STARS members even thought about that. They only relied on the weapons they were given at headquarters. And when their guns ran out of bullets, it was like hell. Not one of them could put up a fight against these things even when they brandished a combat knife.

That was why Ike was so different. He had a different fighting style. It only proved that a civilian co-ordinated with any melee weapon and a little smarts could take out a zombie no problem. It was either that, or the fact that Ike was abnormally strong. It was strange how a man as young as him had the strength of an ox. There was no way someone like him could move a statue made entirely out of granite, especially when it was being held back by the weight of an undead body. The fact that Ike could lift heavy objects only made Ivan want to learn more and more about him. He was curious to see how the T-Virus would react in a body as unique as this swordsman's. Would it mutate him into another mindless zombie? Or could it modify his proportions beyond belief. But these questions had to remain unanswered for the time being. Ivan needed to se if Ike really was worthy for the T-Virus. It would only be a matter of time before the virus completely took over his body. Ultimately, the real question was, could Ike save all his friends before the virus consumed him? Oh, things were getting more and more exciting each passing turn. Ivan found it difficult to tear himself away from his work.

Umbrella's future dangled in the balance of this experiment. If Ivan Anderson were to fail, Wesker would have his head. Not only that, but Ivan would miss his only chance to show the world the pain he endured. The sick, gruesome horrors of his memories still haunted him like a forgotten soul. And the world needed to know about it. For someone to go through this much pain was not human; not right. It was the reason why Ivan chose to work with Umbrella in the first place. He has proven to be a worthy asset to the corporation since his membership. Wesker couldn't get rid of him without a legitimate reason, so for now, Ivan was safe. He would never forget the faces he saw ten years ago. He would never forget the death he saw ten years ago. And he definitely would not forget the man responsible for what happened ten years ago. Raccoon City was a nightmare brought to life, and Ivan still hasn't forgotten the scum who murdered his family. He will remain in the dark subtly. Silently. So silent that no one will be able to see him there.

Then when they least expect it, he will jump out and surprise them all.

He will scare them all.

He will kill them all.

It's what Wesker deserves for turning him into the deranged man he is today. Ivan looked ack at the computer monitors before him. One of them depicted Ike walking into a new hallway. The scientist chuckled to himself.

"_Heh heh. This is just the lead we need. With Uroburos in Africa, and the T-Virus here in Canada, it will be impossible to stop both. Even if the government learns about one of them, there will be nothing they will be able to do to stop the development of the other. And with Tricell covering us, we'll be able to safely sneak under any suspicions the BSAA may have. Everything is going according to plan. Prepare yourself, Ike. You are about to take place in one of the greatest genocides in the history of mankind_."

-

**Author's Note:** A review would be nice thanks.


	4. Madhouse

After Dark: The Mansion Incident

Chapter 4: Madhouse

"Shit shit shit shit SHIT!"

He dodged the low flying dog fangs as they came towards him. Falcon summersaulted under the leaping monster as it landed behind him. He drew his revolver from it's holster and turned around, but wasn't quick enough as the dog soon bit his hand, causing him to drop the gun. Captain Falcon cried in pain as he shook the zombie off his aching limb. With a powerful thrust, Falcon launched the dog into the wall, making it let go and falling to the floor. A think trail of blood and guts lined the wall where it hit. The dog didn't last long as it hit the floor. Falcon finished it with one final stomp on the head. A loud splattering sound echoed through the L-shaped hallway as the final cries of the monster disappeared into the darkness.

Falcon relaxed himself as the beast lay silent beneath him. He nearly choked on his own spit. The smell of the vermin infected flesh made the racer want to throw up, but he couldn't. He made himself. He had to control himself. The last thing he needed was a zombie coming up behind him as he's puking on the floor. The sound of a window breaking caused him to stand tall.

Another dog had entered the hallway, this one a Doberman just like the previous. Falcon had no time to reach for his weapon as he soon found himself on the ground with this thing on top of him. He fought back the ferocious teeth with his bleeding hands. He felt like calling for Ike, but felt it would be pointless. Ike was probably off somewhere on the other side of the mansion, hopefully getting somewhere in the finding of their friends. Falcon cried as he stuck his leg under the dog and kicked it off him. The dog landed on it's feet and ran back to kill it's prey. This wasn't going to happen. Captain Falcon reared back as his leg started heating up. As the dog leaped into the air, Falcon's leg had ignited, creating a mass of flame on his ligament.

"Falcon Kick!"

He thrust his leg into the abdomen of the monster, creating a large hole in the centre of the dog. The body instantly caught fire and flew into the wall at the back. The zombie fell to the floor and burned slowly into the carpet. Falcon walked over to the corpse to make sure it was dead. The smell of cooking dog guts was the only answer he needed.

"Hmph, nice try."

Falcon left the dog and went back to retrieve his weapon. This was the second room he had investigated since he and Ike split up.

He was already doing terrible in his mission. After leaving the foyer, Falcon had found himself in a metal room with a statue in the middle. The room was completely empty of anything useful, except for a map he found when examining the statue. Unfortunately, the map only gave the layout of the first floor of the mansion. He sighed as he pulled out the rolled up map from his belt to analyze it. He knew where he was. On the far east side of the mansion, first floor, in an L-shaped hallway. A few empty cupboards sat on the floor every now and then, but besides that, there was nothing useful at all. And with only 5 shots left in his magnum, he feared for how much longer he would be lasting.

He looked at the two smashed windows the dogs had used to enter the room. It was completely dark outside. The only thing that could be seen was the bark of a few trees covering his view from the rest of the forest. He turned back to the map. Two rooms in ten minutes.

He was wasting too much time, especially in that last room. After snooping through some old paintings of landscapes, Falcon had found himself face to face with another member of the walking dead. Of course, he had to dispatch him with a trusty Falcon Punch, which caused some of the paintings to catch fire. He cleared it out by tossing the flaming paintings out the window into the cold, damp darkness. The last thing he needed was for this mansion to catch on fire. Rescue would be impossible if that happened.

Falcon put away his map and wiped the blood from the view of his helmet.

He wished he was home. Not the Smash Mansion, no, he did care about the people at Smash Mansion, but the thing he missed the most was his original life. The life he had before the Smash Brothers. He missed the fast life on the streets of Mute City, his hometown. Competing in the grand prix with thousands of different alien races watching him from around the galaxy. That was what he missed. He missed the glory days, the days when he was seen as a celebrity. He was loved by every woman and feared by every enemy. Captain Douglas J. Falcon had it all. Nothing to worry about except himself. Sure he would find the occasional self-proclaimed girlfriend along the road, but in truth, Falcon never wanted a relationship. He just wanted to live life the way he wanted; a free man. And that was a hard thing to do when you've got stupid people like criminals ruining it for you every waking moment of your life. Falcon did enjoy his job. What was more fun that arresting criminals on the streets of Mute City? Certainly nothing the Smash Brothers could give. But whenever he tried to get some time to himself, a new mission would always pop up. He would have to return to the road as soon as he set foot in his own home. Life was stressful for him. Which, in a sense, make's the Smash Brothers look like a good thing because it gave him some time to relax. He gets his fans from the brawls. He has friends in the roster. But he always had that suspicion that they were always against him.

Samus and Link especially had a thing against him. He never quite knew what it was either. Could it have been jealousy that got the best of them? Or maybe they just flat out hated his guts without question? He never found out why. They've been more friendly to him recently after the events of Raccoon City. He felt he changed as well. After experiencing the destructive power of the T-Virus, Falcon realized how important his friends were to him. He realized how important life was to him. So, it only made sense that he would help Ike find their captured friends together, whether he liked it or not.

He could barely remember how they got trapped in this mansion in the first place. Falcon thought back, trying to remember what happened. He recalled himself in the middle of a brawl with Meta Knight on Final Destination. ROB was monitoring the whole brawl. He remembered the simulation ending all of a sudden as the square room turned back to the way it was. Armored men in black uniforms burst through the door and took them to a chopper. He remembered seeing the scared look in Lucas' eyes. He was near to tears when he saw the soldiers beating some of the smashers who fought back, like Lucario. He took a serious beating trying to escape, but failed. Falcon really was lucky to be alive.

He took a deep breath before reaching for the door in front of him and stepping into the next room. He found himself standing in a small boxed hallway, a few windows allowing the moonlight to clear the darkness. He looked around and waited for the sound of moaning corpses. Nothing. This hallway was empty. With a sigh of relief he walked up to the first door in front of him. The rest of the hallway curved around to the west side, but he ignored it for now. It was better to investigate this place one room at a time.

Magnum ready, Falcon cranked the knob and leaped into the room. He almost landed in the nearby bathtub. A greenish liquid was sitting in the tub. The water level was unusually high. He stopped when he realized where he was. His reflection blinked at him in the mirror. Falcon was standing in a bathroom.

"_Hey, you okay over there_?"

Falcon whizzed around to look for the voice. Moldy wall tiles stared him down from above, but he couldn't see anyone else standing with him in the small room. A worried look grew on his face.

"Who's there?" he asked out loud.

"_Turn around_."

Falcon spun on his heel so that he was facing the mirror. His reflection stared blankly at him.

"Where?" he asked again.

"_Right here_," replied his reflection.

Falcon blinked beneath his helmet. Was his own reflection in the mirror talking to him? He studied the image of himself in front of him. Several small bloodstains painted the sides of the reflection's cheeks, some of it splattered on to the top of his red helmet.

"Are you...talking to me?" asked Falcon worriedly into the mirror. The reflection chuckled.

"_Heh heh. Sure am. I've been with you since you've been around. Its about time you noticed me,_" said the reflection, "_call me Douglas. Named after you of course_."

Falcon continued to stare blankly at the image as he holstered his weapon. Was he losing his mind? Reflections are not supposed to talk to their owners! This was getting creepy. Falcon took off his helmet and set in on the counter by a moldy bar of green soap. His face was covered in sweat. The emerald hair atop his head was plastered to his forehead. He shook his head before holding it.

"Man, what happened?" he asked in a daze.

"_Nothing's happened. Why? What were you expecting_?"

"Are you fore real?" Douglas rolled his eyes.

"_Am I for real? Of course I am! What was your first assumption_?"

"I thought I was going insane."

"_Well, no worries there big guy. You're fine. Trust me. Now, are you going to wash that crap off your face or not? I can barely stand to look at you_."

Falcon looked at the bloodstains on Douglas' cheeks before leaning down and turning on the sink. The hot water did not seem to be running, so Captain Falcon had to settle with the cold. He stuck his gloves in the water and splashed his face with it. It was refreshing considering that he was all sweating just moments before. After a few minutes of rinsing, he turned off the water and looked back up at his reflection.

"_Better now_?" asked Douglas.

"Way better. That's just what I needed. Now that I'm refreshed, I have a question. Why are you here?"

Douglas was a bit nervous to reply, but he did as clear as he could.

"_I'm here to make sure you don't go insane_."

Falcon stared at his reflection, slowly raising an eyebrow at this comment. He's here to make sure he doesn't go insane? How is that supposed to work? how can that even be true?

"Are you fucking kidding me?" said Falcon arrogantly, "I am not insane."

"_Not yet you're not, but once you discover the horrors hidden deep within this mansion, you will learn that it doesn't take much for a person to crack. You've played it pretty calm so far. But as the night goes on, you will slowly start to tremble. I'm warning you now. If you don't find your friends soon, there won't be anyone to help you_."

Falcon turned away from the mirror and faced the bathtub behind him, contemplating on this. There was always the possibility of one losing their minds. It just depended on how it could happen. Falcon never thought of himself as one to lose his sanity. Still, you could never be too careful.

"Are you sure this could happen?" he asked, not even looking at Douglas.

"_The probability is more than likely. I suggest you take precautions. The sooner you find your friends, the safer you will be. Trust me_."

"That's the thing. I don't trust you. How can I know you're really my conscience? You could be that smart-ass-prick trying to put a trick on me. He's probably watching me right now."

Falcon noticed a camera staring down at him from the ceiling.

"Yeah, this is definitely a trick."

"_I'm afraid you are mistaken. I am telling you the truth. If you don't heed my warning, you will die, Captain Falcon. Now do yourself a favor and get out of here. Find your friends. Escape the mansion. Quickly, before it's too late_."

"Ha. You're a laugh."

"_Listen to me_!"

"I have a better idea."

Falcon smashed the mirror with his fist, creating a loud, reverberating sound to echo throughout the east side of the mansion. He shook he shattered glass off his arm and into the sink. He reached for his helmet and slipped it onto his head before cracking his neck.

"Uptight son of a-"

He felt cold hands grab him from behind as he was shoved forward onto the counter. The smell of rotting zombie flesh quickly filled the air.

"Oh God dammit!" he shouted as the zombie attempted to bite into his back. Falcon turned the situation around in a second. He stuck his foot up and kicked off the counter causing himself and the monster to fly back and trip into the bathtub. He elbowed the monster in the jaw as he jumped out of the tub and back onto the moldy carpet. A green liquid was oozing down his uniform. The zombie pulled itself out of the tub as it started moaning again. Falcon reached behind him and armed himself with a large glass shard from the broken mirror. He went into a battle stance as the zombie slowly approached him. He slashed across it's chest with the shard causing blood to fly out of it's abdomen. The monster continued to move in on it's prey. He slashed again and again across the chest. The monster did not seemed fazed at all. It lunged forward to grab the racer. He pointed the shard outwards as the zombie leaned into the attack. The glass shard punctured the monster through the heart and poked out through it's back. With a final cry, the monster fell to the floor, dead, a large piece of glass wedged into it's side.

Falcon stared at the corpse for a few seconds. That attack was so fast, he was surprised he hadn't anticipated it before. The water level in the tub was now half as high as it was when he first came in. The zombie must have been under the water. Had the mirror been on the wall, Falcon would have been able to see it coming. He let this thought get lost within the bowels of his mind. He didn't believe in a conscience. And he wasn't about to either. With one last glance at the corpse, he reached for the doorknob and stepped back into the hallway. Yet again, he has wasted his time with another useless room.

He turned the corner as the hall curved around. Falcon could smell the rotting flesh in the area. The moldy carpet under his feet did not help either. The hallway opened up into a slightly larger room with nothing to show but an empty cabinet and a large window. The moonlight was relaxing, but the mood quickly turned a Falcon remembered where he was.

"_No goofing off. I have a job to do_."

He walked around the next corner and noticed a white door. He opened it and stepped into a bright room. This room was perfectly square, only about 7 feet in length. It was smaller than the bathroom. A single wooden door sat on the other end of the small room. Falcon examined his surroundings, but found nothing. The room was completely empty. The white ceiling up above his head was unusually high. He did not take this into consideration though as Falcon soon left through the next door out of boredom.

The next room was nothing strange. In the centre of the rectangular room sat a coffee table with a sofa sitting on a carpet. A dusty ash tray was on the wooden table along with a small plant. Several cabinets lined the near wall. A typical living room. The thing the caught Captain Falcon's eye was on the far wall. A lone shotgun was idly mounted on the wall. He couldn't resist the temptation. Falcon walked over and lifted the gun off it's place in the wall. He examined the weapon. It was in perfect condition and had six shells loaded into it's barrel. Just what the doctor ordered. Falcon slung the weapon over his shoulder and exited back into the white room.

As the door closed behind him, he heard a sharp clicking noise. Dust started to float down from the ceiling as a rumbling sound echoed through the small room. Falcon couldn't detect where the sound was coming from. He checked the door he came in from to find it locked.

"Oh shit..."

He looked up to find the ceiling slowly moving towards him. It was a trap.

"Oh shit!"

Falcon ran to the other door leading to the main hallway to find it locked as well. There was no escape. He did the only thing he normally did when faced with a problem.

"Falcon PAWNCH!"

His flaming fist slammed into the door, but it refused to budge. It was stuck. Not even his most powerful move could pierce the barrier before him. And still, the ceiling continued to fall towards him. Falcon cried out.

"Hey! Is there anyone out there!? Help me!"

He banged loudly on the door. There was no reply.

"Somebody!" he cried. Suddenly, he heard a familiar voice.

"Who is in there?" asked a low muffled voice from the other side. Captain Falcon recognized the voice, but couldn't believe who it was.

"Meta Knight! Get me out of here!"

"Stand back."

Falcon backed off from the door and started to crouch. The ceiling was now too low for him to stand up. The sound of metal slicing at wood could be heard on the other side. He got low on the floor as the ceiling lowered itself. The door opened and he saw a gloved hand reach for him.

"Come on!"

Falcon grabbed Meta Knight's hand and let him drag him out of the room. The ceiling collapsed into the floor, flattening anything that was in it's way. Both survivors fell on the floor outside the room, which was now blocked by a giant wall of white. Falcon was breathing heavily.

"Phew, thanks man. I don't know how I would have been able to make it out of there on my own."

The star warrior brought himself to his feet and wrapped his cape around himself.

"You would have done the same for me."

"True that."

Falcon stood up and examined his saviour. Mate Knight was completely clean of blood stains or wounds. His mask wasn't even cracked. His sword, Galaxia, was in it's sheath.

"How did you escape from the soldiers?" asked Falcon.

"They could not contain us. I managed to escape with a few others. But we were separated a while ago. The majority of us are still being held captive. They plan on performing tests on us for their viral experiments. Fortunately, I happened to be passing by when you called for hep. What were you doing in there anyway?"

Falcon looked at the shotgun on his back before replying.

"Um, looking for you. I haven't been able to locate the others yet. You have any idea where they are?"

"No. If only I had map, I would be able to know which rooms I've visited."

Falcon reached for his map and handed it to the shorter warrior.

"I fond this. It gives us a layout of the first floor."

Meta Knight snatched the piece of brown paper and skimmed over it a few times. He handed it back to the racer.

"I see," said the star warrior. "We should not be wasting our time. A handful of us were able to escape. If we can rally the survivors, we may have a fighting chance at whatever is lurking in the darkness of this mansion."

"Agreed," replied Falcon as he put away the map. "Do you need a gun? I got two here."

"No thank you. I do not use guns."

"Alright suit yourself. Which way did you come in from?"

"The window over there. I was trying to figure out where we were, but it's too dark outside for me to get a clear view of our location. We could be anywhere in the world where there are trees."

"I kind of figured as much. Did you have any problems with the zombies?"

"I haven't run into any yet, but I'm well aware that they are here in the building. Our priority is to locate the escaped survivors. There is strength in numbers. Have you heard anything from Link and the others?"

"Link? Isn't he with you?"

"No. He Samus, Snake, Sonic, and Ike were not with the captives when I was down there. You don't know where they are?"

"Well,I know Ike is somewhere investigating on the west side. As for the other four, I'm not too sure. We can only hope that they are okay. If they aren't here, we shouldn't worry about them. They could be safer than the rest of us."

"True. I am glad I found you. At least now I know it's possible to survive in here."

"Tell me about it. Well, we won't get anywhere just standing around. Let's go."

"You lead. You've been here longer."

Falcon turned to the door on the other end of the hall.

"Haven't been over there yet. Come on," he said.

Meta Knight did not reply.

The two of them wandered off into the dark hallway.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Ike cursed as the zombie lunged at him. He jumped back, but didn't realize the set of stairs behind him. He tumbled down, obtaining several bruises on his body before he landed on the hard wood floor at the bottom. There was a throbbing pain in his head. He could feel the blood pumping it's way through the arteries. And still, Ivan's voice echoed through the room.

"Get up Ike! Get up! The fun has only just begun!" he laughed.

The swordsman cursed again as he slowly brought himself to his feet, limping a bit. He had dropped his sword earlier when he entered the room. An attempt at retreating caused him to get ambushed by another zombie and fall down the long staircase. Ike coughed as blood spat from his mouth. A fourth zombie turned the corner on the same floor he was on. He shook his head violently, trying to get that painful feeling out of his head. Why did it hurt so much? Did he hit his head off of something on his way down the steps? His vision was slightly blurred as he watched the clumsy humanoid walk towards him. Ivan's laughter brought him back into reality.

Ike ran towards the zombie as it reached for him. He dodged behind it and kicked it in the back, causing it to land in front of the staircase. Three previous zombies were attempting to walk down the stairs. Thee was too many enemies in this room, and the walls were too narrow. Ike needed a better plan. As the zombie on the floor brought itself to it's feet, Ike spat unintentionally. He looked around for anything he could use. Some large boxes were stacked underneath the staircase, but besides that, there was nothing else of use in the room. Various paintings of landscapes hung on the walls accompanied by a small drawer in a corner. This small hallway was getting smaller by the second as all four zombies approached Ike, the same dead look behind their crimson eyes.

Ike backed up against the wall behind him. He was cornered, and there was no where to go.

"Giving up already, Ike?" said Ivan's voice through a speaker in the ceiling.

Ike ignored the voice as he felt the wall behind him. His heart jumped when he found a doorknob. He quickly turned and cranked open the door with little effort.

He dashed into the room, slamming the door on the face of a close monster. He pushed against the door as the zombies banged on it from the other side. The room he was in was small, but had some kind of safe feeling to it. A single bed with white sheets sat on the opposite end from the door next to a night stand with a typewriter on it. A large shelf containing various chemicals and serums stood on the right wall. Next to the door was a large wooden trunk that could fit a whole person in it. Ike looked about his surroundings twice. There was not much to work with here. He looked up in a corner of the medical room to see a white camera. Ivan waited patiently on the other end. He wanted to see what cunning plan Ike would come up with next.

The sweat on Ike's head started to drip to the floor as the zombie continued ramming against the door. It wouldn't hold for much longer. Ike may have been strong, but strength was useless if the door wasn't stable. It would only be a matter of time before the wooden barrier collapsed at the weight of the creatures.

Ike reached for the trunk and pulled it up against the door to help barricade the room. For some reason, the trunk was unusually light. After moving it in front of the door, Ike opened the trunk. Three objects lay in the bottom of the container; a handgun, a First Aid Spray, and what looked like handgun bullets. This was just the fire power Ike needed, but he had never used a gun in his life. He immediately pulled out the spray and hooked it to his belt, followed by the retrieval of the handgun and bullets. The clip in the weapon was fully loaded to 15 shots. Would this be enough to kill four zombies? He didn't have time to think about it as soon, the door gave way and collapsed on top of the trunk.

Ike backed away from the door as the monsters attempted to climb into the room over the trunk. They continued to call for their prey to come closer. Ike wasn't falling for it. He raised the gun in front of his face and took aim. His first shot was a complete miss as it zoomed over the heads of the monsters. He flinched at the powerful sound of the bullet firing. But he was wasting too much time as soon, one of the zombies crawled into the room and stood up. Ike looked into the abyss that made up the monsters pupils. He couldn't even see his reflection through it.

The zombie lunged at him, but Ike reacted just in time as the zombie soon had a bullet through it's head at point-blank range. It's head exploded as it collapsed to the floor in a heap. The swordsman stared at the corpse, shocked at the sight of what he just did. He didn't' notice the other three monsters enter the room. Ike raised his gun to fire, this time striking one of the zombies in the chest. It just absorbed the bullet and kept coming.

Ike didn't have time to fire as soon, the zombie had grabbed his shoulders and sank it's teeth into his neck. Ike cried out in pain as blood flew out from his mouth and wound. He had dropped the handgun.

"Don't give up hero! There is still hope!" said Ivan laughing again. Ike's eyes flared red as he listened to the deranged scientist mock him. Hew couldn't take it anymore. Ike threw the zombie off of him into the the other two, giving himself some room between him and them. He was bleeding badly, the wound was deep. The carpet had now been painted red from the assault. He was running out of options.

Ike reached down, picked up the handgun and aimed it at his enemies. He was having trouble deciding which one to shoot first. They were now advancing on him again. Ivan's voice was starting to get annoying.

"Come on Ike! Shoot them! Why are you standing there? Just shoot th-"

A bullet pierced the camera eye and caused the machine to short circuit. Ike dropped his smoking weapon on the floor again. He was too weak. He was starting to give up all hope for this mission. He was just one guy, against an army of the living dead. What were the odds of him living after this? He should never have tried to save them. He would have been better off trying to escape on his own. He walked backwards as far from the group as possible, waiting for his inevitable death. He closed his eyes as tears started to flow from his eyes.

"_I'm sorry, everyone. I'm sorry, Zelda. I've let you all down already. I'm no hero. I'm just a guy in way over his head. I'm going to get what I deserve. None of you will ever have to worry about me again_."

His thoughts flashed back to all the times he spent with his friends. All the times he enjoyed his life for what it was. He didn't care about living or dying. Just as long as he could spend life with his princess, he was happy. He missed her. He missed them all. But now they were gone. Taken from him by the very man he hated. He was all alone. He remembered her voice. Her beautiful voice. The voice that had calmed him down when he was all upset. Her eyes were as blue as the vast ocean itself. Her touch a wonderland of love. She was his world. And now, his world was gone, infected by the T-Virus, and held captive in a madhouse. Why was she gone?

He was just with her this morning. He remembered her lying in a bed, in the hospital wing, dying. But, she was safe now right? He did bring her the herbs she needed. But did they really work? What if they found out about her and infected her again? Were they purposely doing this just to piss him off? Or was there some greater reason? Was she a key part to their plan for whatever they were trying to accomplish? And of all people, why her? Why him?

Ike hated attention. He spent his whole life getting attention from people, unintentionally or not. From his days in the army until his nightmare in Raccoon City, he's been getting attention. The scars on his back were still there; the scars he received from all the attention. Why was it so difficult? He never joined the Smash Bros. to be popular. He did it for her. He just wanted to make her happy.

He wanted to be happy.

And now, this third party wants her.

Umbrella wants her.

To them, she is nothing but an experiment, just a lab rat.

"_And now, she's going to die because of me. I couldn't protect her. I'm completely useless_." Ike put his head down.

It was over.

His adventure was over.

His nightmare was over.

His life was over.

Ike was nothing more than a zombie, wandering in the dark, searching for a purpose.

"_Ike...Don't go_..." Ike head rose.

"Zelda?" he choked.

"_Help me, Ike. You promised you would never leave me. You promised. Don't give up now. Please_."

"I can't save you. I'm too weak. I failed you."

"_Please Ike! You have to get up! There is still time! Get up! Don't you love me anymore_?"

"I...I do love you..."

Ike stood tall, flames burning in his eyes. He watched the monsters stumble towards him, now more hungry than ever. His face was dark, almost as if he was possessed.

"I love you, Zelda. Thank you for reminding me. I'm not going to lose. I will find you. I will save you. I will save everyone. I will kill the virus. I will kill them all. For you. I will do it for you!"

Ike reached behind him and lifted the typewriter over his shoulder, completely ignoring the fresh wound on him.

"I won't die!"

He swung the typewriter wildly in the small room. The first zombie's skull collided with the heavy object, causing it's head to fly clean off it's body and slam into the shelf. Some of the serums on the shelf fell from the shock. Ike took another step forward and slammed the machine across the second zombie's legs. It fell to the ground with a moan. Ike raised the typewriter above his head and slammed it down on the chest of the monster, creating a large gaping hole through the middle of it. He stood up just in time to dodge the last zombie as it lunged at him. The creature was completely open to attack. Ike rammed the monster, slamming his fist into it's side. The force of the attack caused the zombie to fly out of the room and back into the hallway. It twitched on the ground before it's face was crushed by Ike's boot. The swordsman stood over his vanquished enemy in triumph, but a dead look filled his eyes.

He was victorious.

At first, he couldn't react to anything. He was alive. A striking pain in his neck brought him back to attention. He reached for his old First Aid Spray can and sprayed the remains of it into his wound. The flesh instantly closed up over the blood and he was revitalized. The pain was gone. He inhaled deeply.

"I won't die, Zelda. You have my word. My promise."

Ike retrieved his sword and fallen handgun before examining the bodies on the floor. All of the zombies had been wearing similar dinner jackets. Wherever these people were harvested from, they were all from the same place. But it was irrelevant. Ike couldn't even remember what he was doing before he got interrupted by those monsters. He stood by himself in the quiet hallway for a moment before Ivan's voice returned.

"I say, that was marvelous. I couldn't expect anything less from you, Ike," he said. Ike cursed to himself before turning to the camera.

"What do you want?" he asked rudely.

"Why nothing, my friend! I'm just congratulating you on your recent victory."

"Don't call me friend. I already told you, you aren't my friend. If you were, you would have let me out of here hours ago."

"True. But that's not why I'm talking to you. I wanted to ask you, how did it feel?"

"How did what feel?"

"How did it feel to kill those infected civilians?"

"What do you mean how did it feel?"

"What were you feeling when you bashed that typewriter into their bodies?" Ike paused for a moment before responding.

"Why should I tell you?"

"For the experiment's sake. If you refuse to answer the question, I will have no choice but to kill your friends. All I have to do is say the word."

"I don't know. It was just...I don't know how to put it. They attacked me, so I defended myself."

"Ah, I see that. But were you experiencing any emotions at the time? Anger? Joy? Vengeance?" Ike paused again.

"Well...I'll admit...It did feel good."

"It felt good. It felt good to kill those things. That's interesting."

"You wouldn't even know how good it felt to kill those things. It was entertaining to see them tremble at my attacks, completely vulnerable to everything I did."

"Anything else?"

"It was fun. And I enjoyed it. That's how it felt. But the fun I have killing these things won't be nearly as fun as when I finally get to put you in your place."

"Ha. I'm touched. Well, your emotions seem to be just as we predicted. The virus is spreading at a steady rate, absolutely normal."

"The T-Virus? You've infected me wit it."

"Well, not quite. You see, if you were infected with the T-Virus, you wouldn't be feeling this rush of adrenaline like you did just now. You wouldn't be having 'fun', believe me. You would be cold, afraid, dead. No no, my friend, the virus we've put in you is far more powerful than any old Tyrant Virus."

Ike froze at this. He didn't know how to react. So all this time, he's been infected with a secret virus, one that's been making him feel good for killing zombies? What did they put in him.

"What did you do to my body?" he asked as calmly as he could.

Ivan paused before responding.

"You will find out in due time. If you plan on rescuing your friends while you are still sane. Time is of the essence. Because if that virus takes over your body, there won't be anything you can to save your friends, let alone yourself. So, run along. Quickly if you value your life."

"Damn you! What's going to happen to me!?"

"That's enough questions for now, Ike. Move along."

"Tell me what's going to happen!"

There was no response. Ivan was done with talking to him. Ike stood in the bloody hallway in silence. He had a virus in his body. But it wasn't any old T-Virus. He didn't know of any other possibilities besides the Plagas. But the odds of that were still slim. There was a third virus he didn't know about. A seemingly superior virus that gave it's victims a surge of power. He shook his head to get the thoughts out.

"_If I go quickly, I won't have to worry about what's going to happen to me. This virus may b strong, but I am stronger. That's what I must believe. I will not succumb to the evil like Orlow did in Raccoon City. I will survive. I will live. And I won't die_."

Ike collected himself together and continued his way down the hall.

The sweat that had beat on his forehead was gone now.

He was cold.

-

**Author's Note:** Review please. I would like to know what you guys think of this story. Is the whole SSBB/RE thing getting weird now, or is it actually a good story? Send me your thoughts! Oh, and special thanks goes out to metasaur, SG-Kai, Clear Blue and FireE21 for their reviews! Now, please review my people!


	5. Ivan's Intentions

After Dark: The Mansion Incident

**Author's Note:** Spoiler up ahead for those who haven't played RE1 yet. Just throwin' that out there.

Chapter 5: Ivan's Intentions

In the summer of 1998, six members of the STARS Alpha Team were sent into the Arklay Mountains. Their mission: to locate their comrades from Bravo Team who crashed landed somewhere in the area. They had been ordered to find clues relating to the recent murder cases appearing in Raccoon City. Bizarre murder cases where victims were apparently 'eaten'. A specific cult group was believed to be behind the whole case. Their hideout was believed to be located somewhere in the Arklay Mountains, where the Bravo Team had attempted to investigate. After experiencing engine problems, the pilot was forced to make an emergency landing, in the middle of a forest. The member of Bravo Team then came to a decision to split up and search for clues. Unfortunately for them, their nightmare was soon to come.

It was then after that Alpha stumbled on to scene. They discovered Bravo's helicopter, but the mangled bodies of the pilots were all there was to see. Immediately, the six members took action, investigating the forest of any survivors, or the suspects behind the murders. Nighttime descended upon the officers, their only light source being that of the moon and their small flash lights. For the first few minutes, they found nothing; not even the remains of any other victims. The forest was strangely silent. Young Jill Valentine could feel her feet shaking in her boots. Fear had quickly slithered it's way around her body. She pointed her Beretta handgun at the slightest hint of noise, only to lower her weapon to find the footsteps longing to that of her partner, Chris Redfield. After a slight nod to each other, they went off to explore the nearby crash sight, not even daring to make any sound. If the murderers were still around, they didn't want to be noticed. What kind of person ate their victims anyway? It wasn't normal, nor was it the least bit civilized. As a matter of fact, the two pilots discovered in the chopper were in the same bodily state as those victims from Raccoon City. All torn apart, all left to rot, all eaten alive. Chris Redfiled felt the fear creep up from behind him, but he relaxed his tense muscles. There was nothing in this forest that could harm him, at least that was what he believed. He was one of STARS' top marksmans. He was practically untouchable in a gun fight. However, those men did not had bullet wounds on them. Scars, yes. Torn flesh, yes. But the thick stench of gunpowder ceased to reveal itself in the foggy air. Chris was afraid, Jill could sense it in him.

All members jumped at attention when they heard the cry of their former comrade, Joseph Frost. A few gun shots wrung out in the air, before the sound of choking on one's blood. Jill's instincts kicked in instantly, and she bolted to the sound of the cry. He was in pain. The sound of muscle tissue tearing from bone echoed through the air. She was the first to stumble upon her mutilated friend.

There in the clearing, a pack of wild dogs were on him, tearing him apart. They were not just ordinary dogs however. Jill could see their fur under the moonlight. Blood and intestines oozed out of the flesh wound on the sides and faces of the dogs. They only paid attention to their fallen prey, the body of the STARS member. Joseph Frost was dead. Jill continued to stare at the scene, contemplating on what to do. she couldn't believe the sight before her. A part of her wanted to run, to cry. However, the other half of her told her to fight, to save what she can of her fallen friend. One of the Dobermans' nosed sniffed into the air, and it noticed the woman standing several feet away. It started growling at her, a piece of Joseph's intestines still hanging from it's fangs. The other dogs soon turned to her as well, slowly approaching her, waiting until they got within pouncing range. She was frozen on the spot. The fear had finally taken her body. Jill was going to die. The lead dog leaped into the air, ready to strike on the fearful officer. As the dog's mouth nearly clamped onto her face, a gunshot rung through her ear. A bullet passed through the dogs skull and knocked it back onto the ground. Some of it's blood smeared onto Jill's cheek.

"Jill, come on!" said Chris who was standing nearby, a smoking handgun in his hands. Jill's legs broke free of the icy bindings, and she sprinted away from the monsters. The dogs started following her and Chris through the forest, barking as they went, calling for their next meal. The two survivors stumbled through the vegetation below them. They could barely see where they were going because it was so dark out. Chris gave Jill a slight push to make her go on ahead of him. He didn't expect the dogs to catch up so fast. As he turned to his enemies, one of the dogs jumped up, ready to pounce on him. Chris raised his gun as he stumble on the grass, but the dog was too close. It was impossible for this shot to hit. Chris fired his gun and the dog shot back into it's friends. A look of surprise overtook Chris. How could he have shot the dog from that angle? Someone else had shot it for him.

"Chris, this way!" called Wesker from behind one of the trees.

Chris nodded with thanks and followed his friend through the forest. Albert Wesker provided cover fire as they ran through the trees. They were soon joined by Jill and Barry. The four of them leaped through the tall grass, away from the pack of animals chasing them.

"Hey! Where's Brad?" shouted Barry over the gunfire. The sound of rotating chopper blades soon filled the air. Alpha Team's chopper lifted up into the sky and flew away. Brad Vickers was in the pilots seat.

"Where the hell's he going?!" shouted Chris.

"There's no time for this! Quick! In that house!"

A lone mansion stood amidst the deep and damp foliage ahead of them. Chris was the first to burst through the house, Wesker covering the rear. He slammed the doors shut on the face of one of the undead canines and fell into the foyer. The survivors stopped to catch their breath. Something was definitely wrong with this forest. Hopefully, this mansion would provide some sort of solitude. But Chris' worst nightmares were only beginning. As Barry finished securing the perimeter of the room, a final thought drew itself in Chris' mind. Jill was not with them.

The group soon learned about the secret horrors hidden in the mansion. It was being used by Umbrella as an illegal testing lab for their viral experiments. Chris, Barry and Wesker all set out to investigate the truth. But at every turn, they were always challenged by the cold, rotting claws oft he undead. They encounter tons of monsters lurking through the mansion. Chris learned how Umbrella was using human test subjects for their experiments. It seemed that ordinary testing on dogs and amphibians was not enough to satisfy their taste for a "New World." It was later discovered that one man, Oswell E. Spencer, was the sick scientist who craved this dream of a "New World." A world where only the most advanced beings would thrive. But that wasn't the only horror. It seemed that Spencer had turned against his own workers as well as the rest of the world. He trapped his scientists within the bowels of his mansion, conducting his experiments on them, turning them into the 'zombies' folks see in media today. His only desire was to fulfill his dream.

He even went so far as to expose a young girl to the T-Virus consecutively. Young Lisa Trevor had become the failed experiment of Spencer. Her only longing was to seek out her mother, who she never knew was dead at the time. Her whole family had been killed by the T-Virus, turned into hellish monsters who crave the flesh of the living. Chris discovered her deformed persona skulking in the shadows of the mansion. She was like no other monster he had encountered. With Wesker's help, Chris was able to lay Lisa to rest with her mother, finally putting an end to her nightmare. It wasn't over yet. Chris soon discovered Umbrella's laboratory beneath the mansion, along with even more experiments gone horribly wrong.

Close examination to one of Spencer's creature files showed that Wesker was in fact a double agent. He was working for Umbrella the whole time. Albert Wesker had been leading Chris on to believe that he was really fighting for survival, where in fact, he was actually using the STARS as test subjects for the virus to play with. He unleashed the T-002 Tyrant, which ran rampant throughout the lab. The Tyrant had supposedly turned on it's master, and killed Wesker in the laboratory, but somehow he managed to escape. With the Tyrant dead, Chris made his escape with Barry and Bravo Team survivor Rebecca Chambers. It was there in the lab, that Chris also discovered his former partner, Jill Valentine. Rebecca set explosives throughout the mansion earlier, attempting to finally put a stop to Umbrella. They escaped to the courtyard to find Brad and the chopper heading towards them in the distance. The Tyrant made a last ditch effort to reappear before them. Jill and Barry teamed up against the monster, but their firearms proved useless against it's tough armor. Brad saved the day when he dropped off a rocket launcher onto the scene. Chris armed himself with it, took aim, and killed the Tyrant once and for all. The four survivors boarded the chopper, and flew off into the sunset. The mansion exploded in a mass of heat and flame, along with all of Umbrella's experiments and bioweapons.

After news about the virus spread to the nearby residents of Raccoon City, this event soon became known as the Mansion Incident. An incident where humans were killed and turned into mindless monsters. An incident where twelve of Raccoon's top officers were sent in, but only five escaped. An incident where the very first T-Virus sample was created.

"...and then as you are well aware, the rats that were near around when the Mansion Incident occurred migrated to Raccoon City, where they spread the virus to it's civilians. The story goes on from there."

"I know sir. You've told me several times already."

"Have I? I must no have noticed. I always find that story entertaining every time I hear it. Don't you Clyde?"

"Absolutely, Mr. Anderson."

"And what's not to like about it? What do you not find entertaining about the RPD's best going up against an army of T-infected residents?"

"Nothing, sir."

"Quite right you are. You know, I like you Clyde. You may look like a regular soldier on the outside, but on the inside, you can relate to the harshness of the world. You are a very good listener."

"Much obliged sir."

"Now, shall I tell you about my experiences in the city when it happened?"

"You have already told me before, sir. Several times."

"It's a very sad story isn't it?"

"Yes sir. Very tragic indeed."

"Does it make you want to cry?"

"Every time you tell me about it."

"Is it really that emotional?"

"It is, sir."

"Does it make you wish you could just grab the man responsible for it all by the throat and strangle the life from his own eyes."

"It does, sir."

"Does it make you wish you had your wife back? To hold her in your arms? To love her? To care for her? To live life with her the way it really should be?..."

"It does, sir. But I wouldn't know about it because I am not married."

"You're not? I never knew that, Clyde. You seem like you would make an excellent father in my opinion."

"Are you sure you are not referring to yourself, sir. I mean, I know for a fact that in that city, you did lose your-"

"Yes, yes, I'm quite familiar with what went on in the City, Clyde. No need to remind me. But doesn't it wish you had someone to love? Life is short, especially when working under the eyes of Umbrella. Tell me, do you have any regrets?"

"..."

"What was that?"

"I...do not sir..."

"Really now? Well that's just darn good then. I always knew you wre a good guy. Now...Where were we before we wandered off topic?"

"Off topic, sir?"

"Yes, you were going to tell me something before I started telling you that story about the Mansion Incident."

"I was sir. Thank you for reminding me."

"Oh, my pleasure. I think it's my turn to listen."

"Right, sir. I've come here to inform you about the recent outbreak."

"The one with Raccoon City a few weeks ago?"

"Actually about a month to be precise."

"A month? My my my, where does the time go?"

"The number of casualties suffered by Umbrella has been recorded into this file."

Clyde handed Ivan a large envelop labeled "Confidential." Ivan opened it and scanned through the sheets. He passed by name after name after name of every soldier who was killed or infected form the outbreak. He chuckled.

"There is quite a lot," he said casually.

Clyde remained at attention.

"I know, sir. Over 500 troops reported dead, 302 of them confirmed as infected. They were harvested just before the missile strike."

Ivan went through the list of alphabetical names. All these men were now dead. It was amazing. He had taken part in the whole event, yet ironically, didn't feel the least bit guilty for these soldiers. Each name had a red X or T next to it, confirming that the soldier was either dead or infected. It was simply marvelous as the number of T's increased as the pages turned.

"We've definitely made some progress," said Ivan, an evil grin smirking across his face.

"I know sir. Definitely," replied the soldier.

Clyde's voice was a bit muffled form the mask he was wearing, but he was audible nonetheless. As Ivan read to the last page, one name towards the bottom struck his interest. The name at the bottom half of the page did not have an X nor a T next to it. Did this mean that this soldier was still alive? He flipped the page around for Clyde to see.

"Clyde, what's this here?" asked Ivan who had his legs crossed in the seat. Clyde leaned down to see the names more clearly. He had overlooked one of the names.

"What's what sir?" he asked, pretending to be oblivious to what he was showing him.

"This here. This soldier has no marking next to his name"

"I can't read very well with this mask, sir."

"Well, let me spell it out for you then. His name is Van Valchev of the Umbrella Retrieval Unit Division A. Where's the X or T symbolizing his death, hm?"

Clyde took the page and brought it more closely to his face. Indeed, Van did not have a marking next to his name. But why was this? Clyde knew the answer, but was a little afraid to say.

"Um, sir. I...don't know how this happened. I should have told you this sooner."

"Told me what sooner?"

Pause.

"We don't know if Van Valchev is dead or not."

Another pause.

"You don't know? What do you mean you don't know? He didn't escape did he? He would have been going against regulations if he ran off somewhere."

"Escape was impossible, I can assure you sure. All of our soldiers had some kind of homing device attacked to their arm, like the one here on me."

Clyde showed Ivan the Umbrella insignia on his left arm.

"We know for a fact that Private Valchev was in the city the entire time. Whether he died or not is a complete mystery to us."

Ivan gave a small sigh.

"Clyde, you're a smart guy, but sometimes you just don't know how to use that head of yours?"

"I beg your pardon, sir?"

"Think about it. If he was in the city the whole time, and a missile touched down in Central Square, what are the odds of his survival?"

"Umm...Very minimal sir."

"Minimal to non-existent thank you very much. Private Valchev was killed by the blast. End of story. I want you to mark that down."

Ivan pulled a red marker from off his desk and handed it to the soldier. He held the pen and sheets in his hand for a moment, pausing as he took this in.

"Are you sure, sir?"

"The facts are all there, Clyde. I don't know why this concept is so hard for you to grasp."

Clyde turned to the sheet and scribbled an X next to Van's name, slowly. For some reason, he was nervous to do so. He handed the marker back to Ivan.

"It is done, sir."

"Good. Well, thank you for that, Clyde. It was very interesting. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to return to my work."

"Very well, sir. Is there anything you need? Shall I release the hunters?"

"No, not yet. I've noticed that since they've split up, they've been having trouble dealing with infect-ants that appeared in groups. However, when fighting them one on one, they take them out like their nothing. It seems, that their moralities crumble when faced with extreme peril. I've also noticed that Ike can be very resourceful when desperate. He's taken three of the infect-ants with a typewriter. Can you imagine! A typewriter! Ha ha!"

"Yes, that is quite comical, sir."

"As for that other one, Falcon. He seems to be doing rather fine on his own. He spent quite some time on front of that mirror a few a half hour ago. I wonder what he was doing?"

"Shaving, sir?"

"Not funny, Clyde."

"Sorry, sir."

"Falcon found another one of his friends. I don't understand it. I thought you made sure all of them were in captivity."

"I...didn't tell you about that sir."

"Is that all you are not telling me, Clyde?"

"No sir. I mean, yes sir. A small group has escaped the soldiers. But do not fret. They are still in the mansion. Rest assured, they will be recaptured."

"Good. They better be. If they are reunited with Ike, I fear for the worst. He may very well soon discover that we're watching him from beneath the mansion."

"But he can't get to us right?"

"Unless he finds the secret entrance, which I've cleverly hidden."

"Very good, sir."

"Thank you, Clyde. Yes, it's good to know we are safe. Just make sure those others are recaptured as soon as possible."

"And what of the girl?"

"The girl?"

"The girl you mentioned to me earlier, sir?"

"Ah, yes, the girl who is infected. There was something I forgot to tell you about her. It seems that Ike has some sort of affection towards her."

"You mean love?"

"It very well cold be love, but I can't assume anything. However, if he actually is in love with this girl, then that puts us a greater advantage."

"Such as?..."

"I'm still contemplating on our motives at the moment. But using her could be a key element to making Ike suffer."

"I thought you wanted him dead."

"Not yet. He has to know how it felt. He has to know how I felt. How it feels to lose those who you love succumb to the power of the virus. He will suffer, mark my words, and I will enjoy every second of it until his death. Do yuo understand me, Clyde?"

"Of course, sir."

"Good. The virus in him needs more time to grow from an infant, so I will let nature takes it's course. Your mission still stands. Do you need a reminder on your objectives?"

"No sir."

"Perfect. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got some souls to torture."

Clyde nodded beneath his helmet and walked out of the room, his boots clanking on the metal. The envelope was still tucked beneath his arm. Ivan watched him leave before wheeling around in his seat to stare at the screens. Ike was right where he left him, in the hallway outside the medicine room.

This was going to be fun.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Ike stepped into the dark hallway, his breath appearing as smoke in front of his face. This room was ice cold, and he could feel it. He hadn't prepared for the cold, but his tough muscles fought it back. He was built tough. Regardless of the cold, it had started raining again. Raindrops pelted the window on the side, the moonlight seeping in through the cracks in the trees outside. Ike was feeling uneasy. That last encounter with the zombies made his stomach queasy. He could barely stand the stench anymore. He suddenly came up with an idea. He undid the headband on his head and allowed his cool blue hair to slightly droop over his eyes. He then tied the blue head band gently over his mouth and nose. It was his own little make-shift air filter.

"_It's not much, but it'll have to do_."

He took a deep breath, and returned to his exploration. He was standing on the corner of two hallways that intersected, one leading straight while a second lead right. Debating which way to go was troubling, but he had to start somewhere. Instinctively, he chose to go straight. The wood floor creaked beneath the weight of his body as he crept slowly across the floor. His sword was drawn, ready to strike at the slightest sound of movement. However, the sound of moaning ceased to enter the room. He was alone. He sighed with relief as he lowered his weapon. Nothing to worry about here. He looked at the wall up ahead to see a silhouette from the moonlight. A person was standing outside. Ike's heart immediately jumped as pushed himself up against he same wall the window was on. It was definitely a zombie, but what was it doing outside? Ike shuffled over to the side of the window and stared at the still silhouette on the opposite wall. The person outside did not move.

"_Maybe it's dead_?"

He instantly discarded this thought. How could something be dead while standing up? He decided go in head first. He pivoted on his left heel so that he was facing the window. He wasn't surprised at what he saw. A lone zombie was standing outside, in front of the window, looking out into the forest. Ike rolled his eyes. "_He doesn't even notice me_." Ike took the opportunity to poke some fun at the monster. He started making faces at the creatures back, sticking out his tongue, pulling down on his bottom right eyelid. He was waving his sword about in mid air while hopping up and down. The zombie still took no notice. Ike even took the liberty of sticking up his middle finger in the direction of the zombie. It still didn't notice.

"_What a lame excuse for a monster_."

Ike turned to the side, ready to continue down the hallway. He didn't notice the zombie turn and look at him in the hallway. The zombie sprung through the window and pinned Ike up against the wall. He cried as the attack took him by surprised. Ike fortunately, hadn't dropped his sword this time. The zombie moaned as it opened it's mouth to take a bite out of Ike's face. Ike used all his strength to shove the monster off him and onto the ground. He then started stabbing it over and over again with his weapon. It wasn't long before the monster started to get up, but Ike just knocked it down again with a swift kick to the face. After stabbing it through the chest ten times with the sword, the zombie finally collapsed to the ground. It was dead. Ike pulled his sword from the abdomen of the monster and examined it. The blood stains rose up all the way to he hilt. He sheathed his weapon and stood before the creature, gazing down into it's crimson eyes.

"_Note to self: Don't fuck with zombies_."

He stared out the broken window into the night air. Rain was now pouring into the room, making the wood floor more slippery. Ike watched his step as he maneuvered down the hall. It curved around the corner and stopped at a nearby door. The white door before the swordsman was unusually clean. He did not take this into consideration as he twisted the knob and stepped into the room. He closed the door behind him and explored the new room.

Lots of unique vegetation filled the area. In the centre of the room stood a fountain covered in moss. Next to that sat a wooden shelf with green and red herbs sitting on it. Behind him, a pressurized water pump. This room was almost empty of anything useful. The swordsman was about to reconsider and turn around, before something shiny caught his eye. A green object was behind the fountain on the wall. Ike had a feeling that it had something to do with one of the puzzles in the mansion. Only one way to be sure. He approached the fountain, attempting to go around it. As soon as he stepped within the three foot barrier, large tentacle like vines rose from the ground. They guarded the fountain, protecting it from any trespassers. Ike immediately stepped back from the rising plants.

They were alive.

"Hey, Ivan you there?" asked the swordsman. There was a pause before an answer.

"Yes, I'm here," replied the voice. Ike looked up to see a camera in one of he corners of the room.

"What's up with the plants?" Ike asked casually.

"Ah, well as you can see, these aren't ay normal plants you would find in a mansion. Believe it or not, the T-Virus is not only limited to mammals. It has the potency to even effect types of vegetation, turning them into similar creatures like the ones you've come across tonight."

"How to I get rid of them?"

"I'll leave that entirely up to you."

Ike turned back to the wiggling vines before him. They looked dangerous because there were so many of them. But then again, they were just plants. How harmful could they be? He drew his sword and swung horizontally through the air. He struck one of the vines, cutting it in half instantly. The vine fell to the ground, wiggled a bit, and stopped moving completely. This creature was completely vulnerable to physical attacks.

"_Just what I needed to know_."

Ike hacked and slashed at the plants. As he moved in, the vines started going towards him. Every time one of them tried to grab him, he would just slice it away. The process didn't take long as soon, the all the vines were on the ground. Nothing was covering his path from getting to what he wants.

"How do you like that?" asked Ike confidently.

"Well, at least you're getting some use out of that sword," replied Ivan.

Ike sheathed his weapon and headed to the back wall. An arrowhead made entirely out of jade was mounted into the wall. H pulled it out with ease and examined his treasure.

"_This is just the thing I need to unlock that tomb stone in the cemetery._"

He pocketed the gem and ran to the door, not even thinking about the free herbs behind him. He stepped back into the dark hallway, assuming there was no enemy to ambush him.

It was quiet, the only sound that of the rain outside. Thunder could be heard in the distance. A storm was coming in from the north. A typical setting for any haunted mansion. Ike probably would have preferred for this mansion to be haunted. 'Haunted' sounded a lot less scarier than 'zombie infected'. A haunted house was something you would use to scare little kids on Halloween. But this mansion wasn't haunted. Any one would find themselves scared shitless if they set foot in here. It was the thought of being trapped, being used as a test rat, that scared Ike the most. Ivan was pulling all the strings here. And all Ik could do was play along with him. It wasn't a kiddy game anymore, no, this was serious business. This was grownup work. Ike's footsteps stopped when he turned the corner of the hallway. Thunder and lightning crackled through the night air as he stared at the wood floor.

The zombie he had killed earlier was gone.

Fear suddenly overtook him again.

"_There's no way it's alive! It was dead! I was right there when it happened! And, there wasn't enough time for anyone to come in here and dispose of the body_!"

There were still blood stains on the floor where the zombie had lain. Ike took a peek out the window, his face wt from the rain. The zombie's body was not outside. It was still in the mansion, more than likely in the hallway. He gritted his teeth as he pulled out his sword again. Heavy breathing could be heard down the hall. It was too dark to see all the way to the end. Ike feared that the monster could see him because he was standing next to the window. The breathing continued, louder now as it's voice was in Ike's direction. The monster could see him, but this zombie was somehow different. There was no moaning, no cries of pain. There as only heavy breathing. Ike's hands clenched tight around the hilt. He didn't think it was possible. Zombies can come back to life after death? He could see the blood red eyes staring at him from the darkness. His blood ran cold as the two stood in the hallway silently. The sound of the rain had somehow disappeared, but Ike could still feel it pouring onto his skin from the outside. He didn't even notice the head band on his mouth droop down a bit.

And still, the eyes continued to stare at him.

A flash of lightning revealed the zombies face. It went mad. The zombie roared loudly as it charged at the warrior with incredible speed, it's long black claws flailing wildly. Ike barely had time to react as the claws swiped him across the face, causing him to drop his sword and fall back. The zombie followed through with a second swipe, this time from it's left hand. It nailed the swordsman across the chest as he flew backward and landed on his back. This creature's strength and speed had somehow tripled. The zombie jumped onto the fallen swordsman, attempting to sink it's teeth into his meaty flesh. Ike's head band had completely fallen off his face, forcing him to smell the reeking scent of rotting guts. He kicked the monster off him and jumped to his feet. The monster recovered and charged again for another assault as another bolt of lightning struck nearby. Ike leaped over the head of the monster,allowing it to pass right under him. He wheeled around and kicked the zombie in the back, making it fall flat on it's face. Ike then stood over the creature and stomped hi heavy boot into the creature's back as hard as he could. To his dismay, the monster did not die. It continued to breathe heavily as it rose and performed a spin slash. Ike's armor saved him this time form the attack, but made him stumbled back a bit. As the zombie came in to finish the combo, Ike grabbed it's wrist in mid-air. He grabbed the other hand with his own and the two were locked in a hold. The desperate zombie still tried to bite at the swordsman, regardless that it couldn't move it's hands. The sound of thunder roared through the air again as lightning came down from the air and struck the nearby tree outside, causing it to burst into flame. The zombie was inches form his face. Ike had no choice but to throw the zombie out the open window.

Unfortunately, he had missed the flames as the zombie rose to its feet yet again. Ike tackled the creature as he dove out the window, rain now drenching them both from head to toe. He was on top of the creature, smashing it's face with punch after punch. He must have broken several of it's teeth after three consecutive hits. The monster's skin was peeling easily form the blows. It managed to throw the swordsman off it, causing Ike to stumble on the un-level ground. The creature took the opportunity to slash again at it's foe, this time scoring a clean hit in the neck. Ike cried in pain as he was thrown back into the outside of the mansion wall. He fell to his knees before the awesome strength of this creature. The zombie flexed it's hands as the black claws on it's nails grew longer each passing second. Fighting unarmed was a stupid move. Ike swore at himself for making a dumb decision like that. The zombie charged one last time, to finish it's opponent for good. Ike was hoping for this. Just as the zombie lunged at him, Ike stood up and grabbed it's arm. Using the momentum of the creature, he spun it it around and tossed it into the flames of the burning tree. The zombie instantly caught fire and began to struggle by running around, searching for it's enemy. Ike backed up against the wall as the monster slowed to a stop and collapsed.

It was finally dead.

Ike's heart was still pounding beneath his chest. He couldn't believe what happened. That monster was definitely the zombie he had killed just before entering the green house room. But somehow, it survived his slaughter. Something wasn't right here. The expression on Ike's face soon turned to anger as he soon stormed back into the hallway, not even bothering to pick up his sword.

"Ivan!" he shouted.

There was silence as the rain drenched the area. Ike picked up his fallen head band and sword as Ivan's voice picked up in the room.

"Ah, Ike, there you are," he said.

"I've had enough of this!" retorted the swordsman.

"What?"

"You didn't tell me that the zombies could reincarnate themselves!"

"Why, Ike, it's all part of the game."

"Game? You think this is a game?"

"Well, that is one way to look at it."

Ike was getting annoyed by Ivan's calm mood.

"Enough of this bullshit! Tell me what that was!"

"Just another infect-ant, no different form the ones previous."

"Yes it was! That-that thing was a totally different creature! It's skin was entirely red! And it was faster than I was! I have never come across something like that in my life!"

"Not even in Raccoon City?"

"No. I had no idea things like those existed. What the hell are they?"

"The scientists around here refer to them as 'Crimson Heads'."

"Crimson Heads...Yes, that would explain the skin color..."

"If a victim of the T-Virus is not decapitated or incinerated after death, the victim starts to develop a rush of blood pressure, resulting in that crimson color you saw. The victim will enter a 'berserk mode', and will attack anything on sight, even those infected with the virus. It is a minor side effect of the T-Virus that we over looked because it seemed irrelevant at the time."

"Well, it nearly killed me. You should have told me earlier."

"But where's the fun in that?"

Ike slammed his sore fist against the wall, blood dripping from the wounds on his chest and face.

"Dammit. When I find where you're hiding, I'll kill you."

"You've told me already. Several times."

"I know. I'm just making sure it sticks to your head. This 'game' of yours has gone on long enough."

"Please, the fun is just beginning. Tell me, were there any emotions running through your body when you killed that creature?"

"Not this again."

"Tell me."

"..."

"..."

"Yes."

"..."

"Revenge."

"Ah, good. Things seem to be remaining on track."

"Now you tell me something."

"Hm?"

"What is the virus you have implanted in me? If its not the T-Virus, then what is it? The Plagas?"

"The Plagas? Oh no no no no, Ike. Your virus is more powerful than the Plagas. It's more powerful than the T-Virus. It's an experiment that I've...personally...saw the development of."

"Personally? What-"

"I will tell you in due time. But the clock is ticking. You best be off. Because the next set of footsteps you hear might just be that of your friends...succumbed to the virus, that is." Ike heard the microphone shut off at the other end. He stood in the damp hallway for what seemed like hours, but were merely a matter of seconds.

What other horrors lurked in this mansion that Ivan did not tell him about? What if he was lying about his friends even being alive? What if they weren't even here? For all Ike knew, Ivan could have dragged him out to the middle of the ocean and put him on an island, forced to wander in this prison for the rest of his life. There was so much evil in that man, it was immeasurable. What was it that drove him exactly? Why did he hate Ike so much? Why did he want him to suffer? He has the power to kill Ike at any given time, but refuses to. Ike needed answers. Ivan needed results. Without the other, neither of the men would be able to attain what he desires. Ike would have to play it calm with Ivan, humor him if he must. For if he believes that his friends are already dead, all hope was already lost. The glistening speck of hope would douse in the dark. Ivan would have already won. Ike remembered he had a First Aid Spray can on him. He treated his wounds, retied the head band, wiped his face, and made another vow.

He would rescue Zelda and the others no matter what the cost.

He would not die, nor collapse beneath the darkness.

But most importantly, he would find Ivan, kill him, and make him pay for the pain he has caused.

He stormed out of the hallway with his new item, ignoring the thunder and rain.

He made a promise to himself, and the people he loves.

And if, by chance, he were to die, he promised to take Ivan and the entire mansion down with him.

The real challenge was only beginning.

For unbeknownst to Ike, the Mansion Incident was repeating itself over again.

Just like Raccoon City.


	6. A Dark and Stormy Night

After Dark: The Mansion Incident

Chapter 6: A Dark and Stormy Night

"Gah! Get this thing offa me!"

The zombie moaned as it tried to sink it's cold teeth into Falcon's warm flesh. He was struggling up against the dark wall. Luckily, he had a partner this time.

"Hmph."

Galaxia gleamed in the darkness as it sliced right across the back of the infect-ant. Blood shot out from the creature's mouth a splattered Falcon's helmet, blinding him instantly.

"I can't see anything!"

The sound of metal cutting meat rung through the muggy air as Meta Knight landed blow after blow onto the abdomen of the monster. Captain Falcon started to gain control of himself as he felt the grip of the creature loosening. With one final slash, the zombie had fallen to the ground, a pool of blood circling it's body. Falcon fell on his ass, breathing heavily, as he started to wipe the blood from his view with the back of his glove. The Star Warrior sheathed his weapon and stared at the corpse.

"So, this is what you were warning me about," he said in a low voice.

Some of Falcon's view was clear, but it tinted everything in the room in a dark, crimson color.

"Yeah, those things are tougher than they look. I could have handled it myself. If it didn't take me by surprise, that is," replied the bloody racer.

"Indeed. It pays to have someone watching your back at all times."

"Oh, thanks for that."

"Hm."

Falcon rose to his feet and attempted to clear his view more.

Meta Knight turned from his friend and back to the corpse.

"It's just like what we saw in that city. Innocent civilians...turned into horrid creatures such as these," he said.

"I know, it sucks. But there's nothing we can do about it, except try to find the others."

Falcon cleared most of the blood from his helmet and began to explore the small hall. There wasn't much to see here, except for a small desk. Several doors lined the north and south wall. And yet again, they have stumbled upon another useless room.

"You should always be prepared when entering a new room," stated Meta Knight.

"What about that new gun you obtained?"

"You know what, I almost forgot about that," replied Falcon as he pulled out his shotgun.

"This baby's locked and loaded. I'd like to see those freaks try to bite me now!"

"Let's try that door over there, and this time, be ready. You never know where an enemy may be lurking."

"You and your 'words of wisdom'. If you're so smart, why don't you take the lead?"

"Because you are better armed than me. It only makes sense to let the strongest fighter go first while the weaker one covers the rear."

"Oh, so now you're giving me praise."

"Would you rather argue about this, or make some progress? I'm open to either if you wish."

"Fine, if you're going to be that way, let's just go. If it's that door you want, that door it is."

Falcon reached for the knob and twisted it. Meta Knight lingered behind as planned.

Captain Falcon had only met the Star Warrior earlier that year. Meta Knight was a newcomer to the Smash Bros. Already he proved to be an avid fighter on the fields of battle. His swordsman skills probably rivaled that of Link and Ike put together. But he never bragged about it. Hell, he never even talked about it. All the smashers respected Meta Knight for who he was, a Star Warrior. He received his share of popularity and compassion from the others, but he never took it for granted. Meta Knight was the kind of guy who didn't care how others saw him. He believed in himself. He was a Star Warrior. Even Kirby, who was a Star Warrior in his time, never got the respect that everyone gave Meta Knight. He kept to himself, usually only speaking if he felt his words were significant to the situation. He's a guy who fights for justice's sake. Even when they were in Raccoon City, not once did Meta Knight crack from the stress. Not once did he break down and give up. Raccoon Cit was a nightmare all on it's own, and Meta Knight hated to dwell on the past. As far as he was concerned, Raccoon City was just another bad dream.

Falcon gave a small nod to his companion before he sprung into the room, weapon out. Immediately as zombie that was waiting on the other side lunged for him. Falcon anticipated this thanks to Meta Knight's advice. He fired off his weapon, aiming rather high. The zombie's head instantly exploded before it managed to grab the racer. The headless monster fell to the floor, soaking in it's own pool of blood. Falcon couldn't believe it actually worked. Meta Knight's short body brushed past him and into the rest of the bright room. He didn't say anything. Falcon felt for the need of a thanks, but he held it back.

It looked as though Meta Knight didn't care. He rarely showed emotion behind that mask of his. You couldn't even hear in his voice what he was feeling. He was like a ghost in an empty shell. No emotion, no spirit, just a fighting machine. That was just the thing one would want in a mansion infested with undead monsters. Even in the brawls, he was relentless. He fought his friends like they were his sworn enemies. But he never showed emotion. He never showed affection. He never showed hate, nor kindness, nor jealousy. He only thought logic. Falcon's case glared in contrast. He believed in common sense and the fact that anything can be solved with a good old fashioned Falcon Punch. It was that sort of thing that caused him to end up in the toughest of situations.

Raccoon City only proved that these two opposites were nothing without each other. Captain Falcon and Meta Knight were an unstoppable team when partnered together. But there always was the odd case when one of them would pick a fight with the other, indirectly or otherwise. It only proved that their relationship was more or less similar to that of two brothers, though both descending from entirely different races. In an awkward sense, the trials in this mansion could be seen as a test for their loyalty for each other. The thought of this just made Falcon chuckle.

"The rain has not let up," said Meta Knight as he wandered over to the corner staircase to look out the window.

Falcon slung the shotgun over his shoulder and began to explore.

"Heh. That doesn't surprise me at all," he responded.

It was still thundering outside, the occasional blast of lightning appearing in the distance. The walls had an awful colored pinkish wall paper on it. Several photos of people and places literally covered the walls as they led up the 90 degree staircase. A small storage room door lead underneath the stairs. A low moan could be heard over the sound of the storm.

"Shh. Do you hear that?" asked the Star Warrior, almost whispering.

Falcon gave a nod.

"Where is it coming from?" he asked.

"Up there."

The stairs led up to a small balcony that overlooked the room. A lone zombie was standing on it's own up there, doing nothing. Meta Knight nodded to Falcon and he returned it. The Star Warriors dark cape opened up to reveal a set of cool bat. Wings he drew his sword and flew up to the balcony where the zombie was. From his angle, Falcon couldn't see anything. The sound of cutting flesh filled the air. Soon enough, the zombie had collapsed to the floor, whispering a final moan into the room. Meta Knight jumped off the railing and landed back to the main floor 12 feet below.

"So, any problems?" asked Falcon.

"No," replied the Star Warrior plainly.

Falcon noticed a small blood smear on the side of Meta Knight' mask, but didn't tell him.

"Now that all enemies are clear, why don't we check out that room?" he suggested, pointing to the storage room under he stairs.

"Hm."

Suddenly, there was a knocking at the door behind them. Both of them turned to the rapping sound. It was coming from the door they had used to enter the room. The sound was scratchy, as if someone was trying to hack through the door with a set of metal claws. Falcon took a step back as Meta Knight drew his sword.

"What is that?" asked Falcon nervously.

"I don't know. Quick. Arm yourself."

"What?"

"Arm yourself!"

The door smashed open as a Crimson Head burst into the room. Meta Knight deflected the flying debris, leaving him open to attack. The zombie slashed at him sending him flying back into the wall. Luckily, his armor had protected him. Falcon was still fumbling with his weapon.

"Look out!" shouted Meta Knight.

Falcon looked up to see the Crimson Head lunge at him. He managed to dodge out of the way, dropping his weapon in the process. Meta Knight jumped to his feet and charged at the creature, wings outspread. He tackled the monster in the back as it was facing Falcon. Mate Knight pinned it up against the wall, hacking at it's already bleeding back. The zombie moaned, completely ignoring the pain. It spun around, flailing it's claws in the air. Meta Knight ducked under and continued his assault. For some reason, this creature didn't seem to be affected at all by his sword. He realized this and jumped back to a safe distance as the creature regained it's footing. Falcon aimed his ready shotgun at the creatures chest and fired, crating a large hole through it's abdomen. The zombie was thrown into the wall, blood and guts splattering onto the floor and wall paper. It stumbled, but looked up again, ready for another onslaught.

"What!? It's still coming!" exclaimed Falcon.

Meta Knight didn't respond. Looks like he was going to need a new battle tactic. The Star Warrior spun around at immense speed, creating a mini tornado with his spinning blade. He spun across the ground and rammed into the creature, hacking as he went. It was a direct hit, but the Crimson Head was still taking minimal damage. It grabbed Meta Knight's cape in mid spin and pulled him into it. The Star Warrior thought fast. He slashed at the monster's wrist, cutting off it's limb completely. "Get down!" shouted Falcon. Meta Knight ducked as a hail of shells zoomed over his head. The zombie's head exploded, causing it's body to collapse to the ground. Meta Knight held his sword up incase their enemy wasn't down for good. The only sound in the room was that of the thunder crackling in from outside. This monster was now dead. Both survivors were breathing heavily after what happened. Neither of them had anticipated this. Somehow, the zombie they killed in the hallway had followed them into this room. Even stranger was that it had enhanced speed and strength. If it was dead, how could it rise again more powerful than it already was? This was getting ridiculous. Falcon holstered his weapon and stared at his shorter friend.

"Wow. That was...hectic..." he said.

Meta Knight examined his torn cape before sheathing his sword.

"It came back alive. Why didn't you tell me about that?" he asked.

"I didn't know it could do that!" They both stood again in silence for a while, until it occurred to Falcon that they were being watched by a white camera mounted in the corner of the ceiling. "But I know someone who does..."

Falcon walked in front of the camera so that he was standing right in the middle of the screen.

"Hey there, Ivan!" he said, waving a hand.

There was a pause before an answer.

"Ah, hello there...um...Falcon, was it?" replied Ivan's voice.

"Yeah. Do you mind telling me what's up with these zombies of yours? Why the hell did it get back up after we killed it?"

Ivan sighed.

"I just explained that to Ike a few minutes ago. And, I'm not in the mood to repeat myself. You're going to have to find him if you want some answers."

As soon as he said Ike's name, Meta Knight moved over to Falcon and stared at the camera eye.

"You know where Ike is?" he asked.

"Okay, now you've got to answer this question for me. What is that guy?" asked Ivan, humor in his voice.

Meta Knight was not at all surprised by this question. It was the typical reaction to anyone who's never seen a Star Warrior before. He allowed the thunder to sound out before replying.

"My name is Meta Knight. I serve...a higher authority."

"Oh, do you now? That's quite interesting. As a matter of fact, I too serve a 'higher authority', heh heh."

"I don't care who the hell you work for! All I want to know is what the hell was that thing that attacked us!?" shouted Falcon.

There was some silence on the other end before a reply.

"So, your name is Meta Knight." Ivan was completely ignoring Falcon's question. "Is that your real name or is it a nickname?"

"It is my real name."

"How very odd that is."

"I was so named because it would be my destiny to protect this world from evil."

"I'm sure. Now, about you're question, Falcon."

"Yeah?"

"I...won't give you an answer."

"You son of a-! I'll kill you!"

Falcon drew out his weapon and blasted a hole in the camera. It sizzled and sparked before falling to the floor. Meta Knight glanced at him angrily as he hid his weapon behind his back.

"You do realize that you are wasting ammunition," said the Star Warrior.

"I know," replied Falcon as he holstered the weapon again. "But it was worth it for that guy."

"Not to mention the fact that 'that guy' may be our only hope to obtaining any information on our missing friends."

"Ah...You make a good point."

"Next time, let me do the talking. Save your comments for the monsters. They won't listen anyway."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means you should stop letting your emotions control your actions. You must not react based on pure instinct. You have to think. Calm yourself. Choose whether fighting or negotiating is the best option. Sometimes, the pen is mightier than the sword."

"Here we go again." Falcon walked to the other end of the room to the storage room door. "Can we please get back to what we were doing? Like, exploring this place for any clues?"

Meta Knight nodded, wrapping his torn cape around his body. He stepped over the rotting corpse of the Crimson Head and followed Falcon to the door.

"Be prepared," said the Star Warrior.

"I'm always prepared," replied Falcon, not even bothering to draw his weapon.

He twisted the doorknob and stepped into the small room. Meta Knight followed closely behind. Indeed, they were in a storage room. The only light in here was that of a small lamp sitting on a large crate. It was relaxing, somewhat soothing. Something about this room made felt safe. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that there were no zombies anywhere. A typewriter on a small table sat next to the door, along with a large white tank, containing some sort of liquid. The other end of the room had some crates stacked on top of each other next to a large trunk. Some shotgun shells sat idly on the floor. Falcon immediately picked these up and reloaded his weapon.

"Hell yeah, back in action!"

Meta Knight ignored his comment and wandered into the room. For some reason, he could sense the presence of someone else in the room. But, there was no one else there. The muffled sound of shuffling came from the trunk on the other side.

"Shh. There's something inside there," said Meta Knight a he drew his sword.

Falcon readied his gun as they both slowly approached the trunk. More noise was coming from inside it. There was someone definitely in there. Or was it something? Falcon undid the latch on the outside and gave a nod to the Star Warrior who returned the gesture. In one swift motion, Falcon flipped open the lid of the trunk and they both leaned in, aiming their weapons at whatever was inside.

"Ah! Don't shoot!"

Both survivors' faces lit up when they realized exactly who was hiding in the box. They both holstered their weapons as the blonde haired boy brought himself to his feet in the trunk.

"Lucas! I'm so glad you're okay!" said Falcon. He grabbed the small boy and hugged him tight, nearly breaking his spine.

"Ugh...I'm okay! I'm okay!" he cried.

Falcon set him on his feet as Lucas dusted himself off. Surprisingly, besides a few scratches and bruises, Lucas was perfectly fine.

"We've been looking all over for you!" exclaimed Falcon.

"What were you doing in there?" asked Meta Knight.

"Hiding. I managed to escape from those men, but I found out something horrible! This mansion is full of monsters! Just like the ones we saw in the city!"

"Yeah, we kind of figured that out," said Falcon sarcastically.

"Do you have any idea where the others are?" asked the Star Warrior.

The small boy kicked the ground gently before replying.

"I don't know. I thought they were with you."

"No. We got separated."

"All that matters right now is that you're safe!" said Falcon.

The sound of crackling thunder caused all three smashers to jumped. Lucas dove for the trunk and locked himself in again.

"Hey, Lucas! Where'd you go?" asked Falcon.

"He's in the trunk. The storm startled him," replied Meta Knight.

"Wow. He runs pretty fast for a little guy."

Meta Knight opened the trunk to find Lucas crouched down holding his head.

"Are you okay?" asked the Star Warrior.

Lucas looked up to see the face of his friend.

"Oh...Yeah...I was just...I got scared," he admitted as he pulled himself out of the trunk for the second time.

"You've got nothing to worry about! Not when you've got me protecting you!" said Captain Falcon, giving a thumbs up.

"Yes, you did such a fine job in Raccoon City," retorted Meta Knight sarcastically.

"Hey that doesn't count! I was outnumbered!"

"Lucas, how long have you been hiding in here?" asked Meta Knight.

"I don't know. One of those monsters kept following me around, so I ran in here and hoped it wouldn't find me."

"Well, it got close. He was just outside this room, but don't worry. I got rid of him for you," boasted Falcon.

"Indeed," replied the Star Warrior. "We need to get moving. Who knows how many of us are scattered throughout this mansion."

"He's got a point. Let's go."

Falcon and Meta Knight headed for the door.

"Wait!" cried Lucas.

They turned to him to see him shivering.

"Guys...I'm...scared..." he said nervously.

Falcon couldn't help but feel a little sympathetic towards him. Meta Knight, on the other hand, made no outward reaction at all.

"You have no choice but to come with us. If you stay close, we can protect you. Just remember, you mustn't run away from us. No matter what happens. If we lose you, there won't be any way we can guarantee your survival."

Lucas gave a small nod as he fought back the tears in his eyes.

"Okay..." he said.

Falcon held out a hand for him to grab. Meta Knight led the way out the door and back into the staircase room. Nothing had changed in this room since they left; not even the weather.

"You two stay here. I'm going to head up the stairs to see if there are any enemies," said Meta Knight.

Lucas and Falcon gave a nod.

"Okay, call me if you need help," replied Falcon.

Meta Knight nodded and dashed up the stairs. Lucas continued to hold Falcon's gloved hand, regardless of the blood on it. It made him feel comfortable to know that he wasn't alone in this big house.

"Lucas, do you remember how you fought back those creatures in Raccoon City?" asked Falcon calmly.

"Yeah..." replied Lucas shyly.

"Well, don't be afraid to use your PSI powers here. There may be a situation where you, Meta Knight and I will become separated from each other."

"..."

"If that ever happens, I need you to do me a favor."

"..."

"I want you to go back to the storage room over there and hide yourself in the trunk. You'll be safe there. I want you to wait there until wither me or Meta Knight come to pick you up. Got it?"

"...Uh-huh..."

"And if you run into any monsters long the way, I need you to keep running. Don't look back, just run away from them as fast as you can."

"...Uh-huh..."

"If you have no choice but to fight those monsters, use your PSI powers to clear a path. I know that your powers aren't as focused as Ness', so you're going to have to trust in yourself. But most importantly, DO NOT go anywhere near these creatures. As soon as those things get a hold of you, it will be all over. Do you understand?"

Lucas gave a sharp nod.

"Good. Just remember what I said, and everything will turn out good. Trust me."

"I do..."

"The coast is clear. This way!" said Meta Knight from on top of the balcony.

Falcon and Lucas ran up the stairs to join their friend on the second floor. Meat Knight was standing over the body of a zombie he had previously killed. He was also holding a small, white canteen in his hand.

"What's that?" asked Falcon.

"I'm not sure. But judging from the smell...I would say it's some form of combustible compound; more than likely, kerosene," replied Meta Knight.

"Wait, what does it do?"

"It's very flammable. I have a feeling we're going to need this. Like here."

Meta Knight gestured toward the corpse. Lucas tried to hide behind Falcon's leg.

"What's your point?"

"Remember how that red monster barged in through the doors down there? We had already killed that zombie in the previous room, but somehow, it had revived itself, granting it the ability to run faster and strike with exceptional accuracy. It is a reincarnation of it's former self."

"And?..."

"My theory is, if we dispose of the body in a certain manner, we should be able to cancel this transformation, thereby defeating this new creature before it has a chance to rise to it's feet."

"I see. Are you sure it'll work though?"

"It may. Unfortunately, I don't have anything to light the fluid."

Captain Falcon produced a gold lighter from his pocket.

"Allow me."

Meta Knight nodded as he poured some of the kerosene onto the body. Falcon then bent down and lit the fluid. The zombie's body burst into flame as the rotting flesh cooked on the carpeted ground. The smell was unbearable.

"Man, you'd think the smoke would at least get rid of the smell."

"Let's move on. There's plenty more rooms to be explored."

Meta Knight walked to the end of the hallway and turned the corner. Falcon and Lucas followed, but not before taking one last look at the burning body. Outside, lightning lit up the sky.

It was going to be one hell of a storm.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Ike wandered back into the dining room, the jade stone held securely in his hand. He adjusted the head band over his mouth and continued walking through the familiar room. A large smashed statue crushed the broken table, a dead zombie buried underneath it. Oh yeah, he remembered this. But his mission was clear to him. Bringing this stone back to the cemetery would unlock a secret room, hopefully one that he could use to find some clues. He cautiously made his way down the long room, eyeing the broken table. He stared at the dead carcass underneath it.

"_What if it comes back alive just like the one in the other hall_?"

He shuffled past it as quickly as he could, not even daring to glance at it again. He moved through the doubles doors at the end and slammed them shut as he entered the foyer. For some reason, this room felt different. Ike couldn't quite figure out what it was, but something about this room had changed. Everything seemed to be in place. None of the furniture had changed, there was still blood on the tile. Ike looked around the room twice, both times realizing what was missing.

"_The corpse...Where is it_?"

The dead Doberman that he had killed in this room previously was no longer here. Not even the typewriter he had used to kill it could be seen anywhere.

"_But there's no way it could have gotten up after I killed it. I must have knocked half it's brains out of it's head. Unless_..."

Ike looked at the camera in the corner of the room.

"..._Unless someone came in here to dispose of the body_."

He walked in front of the camera eye casually.

"Hey Ivan, where did the body go?" he asked.

A pause.

"Hello, Ike. Good to see you too," he replied.

"Enough. Tell me, was there anyone in this room after me and Falcon separated?"

"..."

"..."

"I can't say."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know if there was anyone who came in this room after you."

"I don't believe you."

"What?"

"I don't believe you! You can check any room at any given time! You mean to tell me you didn't see anyone come in here after we left?"

"No. If there was, I didn't see it. What seems to be the problem, Ike?"

"Somebody took the corpse that was in this room!"

"Are you sure? Maybe the corpse got up and left without you noticing."

"With a typewriter wedged in it's skull? I don't think so."

"Believe what you want to believe, Ike. I will not change my answer. I have no idea whether someone came in here or not."

"You're a big help."

Ike turned around to examine the blood from the monster. It was starting to harden. The virus was definitely inside it. The thunder roared outside. Weather had been really depressing lately. It didn't help at all wit the situation either. As the thunder rolled outside, Ike felt a sudden pain in his chest.

"Ugh!"

He keeled over and held his aching heart. It was the virus inside of him. It was tearing him apart.

"Ugh, Ivan! What is this!?"

"Ah, it seems that the G-Virus sample planted in you is starting to take effect."

"_G-Virus? What? I've heard of it before...but where_?"

It felt as though something was clawing at his heart, trying to take over his body from the inside out. It was a stabbing feeling that continued over and over again.

"The infant has finally grow into a stable adult. Exceptional progress has been made. That is very interesting."

Ike could hear his heartbeat ringing through his ear. He could feel the parasite moving through his body, biting at his nerves, eating him away.

"What's...ugh!...it going to do to me?"

"A living, breathing weapon. You shall join the ranks of the BOW's. A person of your strength and stature would prove invaluable to our research. I am actually quite surprised you've made it this far without falling before the virus."

The pain slowly started to ease up as Ike brought himself back to his feet.

"How much longer?..."

"I beg your pardon?"

"How much longer do I have until it takes full control of me?"

"..."

"...?"

"I'm not sure. Your case is somewhat unique compared to other victims of the G-virus. I cannot predict how much longer you have to last."

"Huh. Great."

Lightning crackled outside the window.

"Well, that's enough questions for now. I'll give you a chance to finish what you were doing. See you soon, Ike."

The microphone turned off as Ike stared at the dead camera. He was all alone, his only company that of the virus within him. And it was destroying him inside out. This just gave him more on his plate. Not only did he have to find his missing friends and kill Ivan, but he now had to locate a cure for the virus, that is, if one existed.

"_Ivan would more than likely have a cure in case of an emergency. If I find him, I find the cure. So ,my mission remains the same_."

Ike collected himself together and ran up the large stairs to the door with the painting on the front.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"The virus has finally grown. He should start to notice some side effects such as muscle growth and increased stamina. Everything is on schedule, Mr. Wesker."

"Excellent Ivan. Be sure to keep things on track. Do not fail me."

"I will not sir. I will perform my task until death."

"That's what I look for in a person. Whether or not they are dedicated to the task at hand. Unfortunately, I wish I could say the same about Excella."

"Excella, sir? Is something the matter?"

"She has found out that I betrayed her. Foolish bitch. She has no idea about the scale we are working upon right now. She had believed that we were going to live together in the 'New World', but no. She is too stupid, too gullible, to be worthy for the up coming world."

"Where is she now?"

"Uroburos has rejected her."

"You infected her with the Uroburos?"

"If she wants to be helpful, she can do me the favor of destroying Chris Redfield for good. He has proven to be a real thorn in my side. A REAL thorn."

"Ah, just like old times, right sir?"

"Do not joke with me. This is serious business."

"I'm sorry."

"Somehow, Chris managed to save his old partner from the P3 I injected her with. My primary objective right now is to get the Uroburos out of Africa. I cannot allow Chris to interfere any longer."

"Indeed."

"I assume things are fine where you are?"

"Oh yes sir. You have nothing to worry about. Do not fret. Remember-"

"I know, you don't need to remind me."

"Very well sir. I wish you luck with what comes ahead."

"Oh, Ivan. One more thing."

"Yes sir?"

"If you fail me, I will kill you."

"Sir I already told you-"

"Not only will I kill you, but I will kill every single one of the men working under you. I will kill the infect-ants of that mansion and I will kill all the hostages you kidnapped from Japan. All of you will die if this mission fails. The balance of the 'New World' rests in your hands."

"I...I see."

"..."

"Thank you sir."


	7. A Little Deductive Reasoning

After Dark: The Mansion Incident

Chapter 7: A Little Deductive Reasoning

Meta Knight stuck his head out the door and looked in both directions of the hallway. No sign of the infect-ants. He nodded his head in assurance that the coast was clear. The three survivors stepped out into the musky hallway. It was still cold in here, the lightning and thunder rolling about outside the far window.

Lucas shuddered.

He was never used to this sort of thing. Even after enduring Raccoon City, he still wasn't used to it. There was something about zombies that really freaked him out. Maybe it was their lust for food. Or maybe it was that dead look in their eyes. Or...maybe it was the thought of having his limbs torn apart by cold, rotting hands of death. Yeah, that was probably it.

In his lifetime, Lucas had come across tons of weird monsters. From the Pork Warriors of New Pork City all the way to the Primids of the Subspace Army, Lucas had seen it all. That is, until he stepped into this living nightmare. He had no idea creatures such as these existed. Heck, no one did, but they knew the purpose behind it. It was almost like yesterday Lucas could recall him standing outside the burning building. Watching the wood of the house collapsing before his very eyes. His mother screams echoing through his ear. And Claus, his more outgoing older brother, did all he could to comfort him. But, it wasn't enough. No amount of sympathy could heal the wounds of a loved one leaving you forever. The thought of your mother dying, burning alive, scarred his memory forever. It was the reason why he's the little insecure shy boy he is today. And the screams of his mother filled the room.

The sound of furniture crashing caused the boy to crouch down and cover his ears. He slammed his eyes shut as the sound of moaning crept around the corner of the dark hallway. He heard Meta Knight's sword being drawn from it's sheath.

"There's one here," said the Star Warrior.

Falcon drew his shotgun and aimed it down the hall.

"I'll cover you," he replied the shorter brawler.

Meta Knight responded with a nod and dashed down the hallway, wings spread out.

The zombie stumbled around the corner, expecting the attack. It lunged out at the Star Warrior as he approached quickly, causing Falcon to flinch at the thought of Meta Knight being torn apart.

Lucas continued to close his eyes and ears, trying to escape the situation.

Meta Knight grunted as he swooped over the zombie and landed on the other side of it. The hacking and slashing of the zombie's back soon followed suit as Galaxia did what it was made to do. The zombie was being ripped apart in the back, moaning loudly. Falcon held his weapon up high still. Meta Knight grunted yet again as he charged a smash attack and slammed the creature into the wall with his weapon. The zombie collided with the hard wood and collapsed to the ground. Meta Knight stood over it, sheathing his sword and folding his cape around himself.

It was dead.

Falcon breathed as sigh of relief as he holstered his weapon. He noticed Lucas on the ground, shaking.

"Hey, you okay, Lucas?" asked the racer, crouching down to the boy's level.

Lucas' eyes were still closed.

He was thinking about his mother. How everything would be okay if he was with his mother. She was always there to protect him from the bad people in the world. There to protect him from the bad plants and animals that would give him little scratches and bruises. His mother was his comfort zone. But Lucas' mother wasn't here now. She wasn't here anymore. She wasn't here to protect him. No one was here to protect him. He was all alone in a mansion infested with monsters who want to eat him. It was his nightmares as an infant come true.

Falcon shook his shoulders in an attempt to wake the poor boy from his trance. Lucas snapped out of it and screamed, falling over in the process.

"Lucas! What's wrong?" said Falcon as he grabbed his hand and tried to pull him to his feet.

Lucas stared into his reflection on Captain Falcon's helmet. He saw the face of a scared, little boy wit blonde hair. He turned his head away from the image as he was put back on his feet. He started to twiddle his fingers with his head down as Falcon rose to his feet and stood before him. Meta Knight was on the other end of the hallway examining the smashed furniture and drawers on the floor. Lucas found himself shaking all over again.

"I-I...I'm sorry...I'm j-just so...scared..." he said dropping his shoulders on the last word and relaxing himself.

Falcon looked a bit annoyed by this, but felt kind of pleased to enlighten the boy.

"I told you already Lucas. Me and Meta Knight will make sure nothing happens to you. You have nothing to worry about remember?"

Lucas' eyes got wide as he remembered Raccoon City. What was there to be afraid of? As long as those two were watching his back, he would be safe right? That is how it was in Raccoon City. Lucas could always expect protection from the masked swordsman and the racer. But, he no longer felt that sense of security in this mansion like he did in Raccoon. There was something different about this mansion. Something deep inside him, most likely his PSI powers, was telling him that he and the other smashers were in grave danger here.

He felt that someone he knew dear would betray the rest, for the sake of a science experiment. He questioned this thought in his head harshly. None of the smashers would betray him would they? Aren't they all on the same side? Aren't they all trying to survive in this mansion? The thought of a traitor in the group made him start to shake again, but he collected himself calmly.

"I'm...sorry, Captain Falcon. I forgot..." he replied to the racer slowly.

Falcon ruffled his dirty blonde hair.

"Aw, it's nothing to worry about. Just make sure you don't go running off, you hear?"

"Yes."

"Good. Hey Meta Knight! How's the weather over there?"

Meta Knight turned to him, his eyes flashing a greenish color, before turning back to his investigation. He didn't feel like talking at the moment.

"Hey! Where's the communication here!?" shouted Falcon from the other end of the hallway.

Meta Knight turned away from him and disappeared around the corner. Falcon shrugged his shoulders and put an arm around Lucas' back to help him walk forward.

"I swear, that guy thinks he's the best at everything," said Falcon, sticking his nose up a bit.

Lucas recalled Samus telling him something similar to that about Falcon when they were back at Smash Mansion.

The walls of this hallway were painted a disgusting shade of red, which only amplified the blood on the carpeted floor from the zombie. Several empty drawers sat about, all of them completely useless. The zombie lay on the floor near the corner where Meta Knight had disappeared around. Falcon and Lucas headed in his direction.

"This hallway is so pointless," started Falcon. "It goes around in square! And what about the rooms we passed by? Shouldn't we check those out first?"

Lucas wasn't listening, but Falcon didn't seem to notice. All he wanted was to find where Meta Knight had gone.

The pair turned the corner and froze in horror.

Meta Knight was gone.

Lucas immediately shrieked when he stared down the empty hall. He grabbed Falcon's leg and held on for dear life.

"He's gone!" cried Lucas, tears starting to form in his eyes. "Those things got him!"

Falcon couldn't believe it either, but he stood tall. There was no way Meta Knight could have been taken away by one of those zombies. But there was no sound of a door opening when they were around the corner. Meta knight really did disappear.

"Don't panic. There's a perfectly good explanation for this. He probably went into one of these rooms to explore," reassured Falcon.

"And he left us here!" replied the blonde boy.

"That, I'm not sure about. He better have a good reason for leaving us behind."

Falcon drew out his gun yet again as thunder boomed over the room. The dim lights on the ceiling flickered a bit before returning to their original state. Lucas prayed that the lights stay on.

If it was one thing Lucas was scared of the most, it was the dark.

But really, what was so scary about the dark anyway? You couldn't see anything, but it's not like the darkness could hurt you could it?

Not true.

The darkness meant he wouldn't be able to see. Th darkness meant monsters could be skulking nearby and he wouldn't know about it. Darkness meant losing his only hopes of escaping this mansion alive.

Falcon flinched but calmed himself when the lights returned to normal.

"It's no big deal, just faulty wiring. Nothing to be worried about," he said reassuringly.

Lucas wished he could believe his kind words.

"Let's try this door here," said Falcon as he turned to the wooden door next to them.

Lucas hesitated, but nodded his head in agreement. He didn't care where he went, just as long as he stayed with Captain Falcon. Falcon opened the creaky door and stepped slowly into the room. He found himself stranding in a very cramped hallway.

"See? Nothing to worry about," said Falcon as he chuckled to himself.

"Wait! What's th-that?" said Lucas as he lifted a shaking finger to point at the body across from them.

There on the corner of the small hall, sat a mangled soldier, head down.

"Holy shit!" cried Falcon as he drew his gun up high and jumped at attention. It was then that he noticed the body was actually dead.

"It looks like one of the soldiers that took us!" said Lucas, hiding behind Falcon's leg.

"It does...But what's he doing in here? And why is he dead?"

The two cautiously approached the body, noticing the Umbrella logo on his left arm. Falcon holstered his weapon and crouched down to examine the body. Neither of the survivors even bothered to look around the corner.

The soldier was a real mess. His uniform was all torn up on the arms and legs. The armor plating covering his chest was cracked open and blood could be seen leaking through the wounds on his chest. The half broken gas mask on his face revealed a missing eye and a broken jaw. The most unique feature about this man was the odd shaped purple scars on his neck. It was almost as if something tried to bite him there...

Falcon studied the body, attempting to draw some kind of conclusion to what caused this man's death. Still, Lucas cowered behind him, fearing that the soldier was going to get up and attack.

Falcon attempted to lift the remains of the man's mask off his face, to see what he used to look like before being mutilated. The mask was sticking tightly, secured by dried blood on the victim's face. He could even feel that small spark of fear growing inside him. The fear that this man was going to reach out and eat him. He was close enough to his face that it wouldn't take much movement for the man to take down the racer. It was a risk Falcon had to take. The mask was almost completely off now, as Falcon noticed other facial features such as a nose and mustache. The other eye, which was as white as a cue ball was revealed and stared at Falcon. The nerves inside him started to build as the thought of this thing getting up now made him jumpy.

"Get away from it!"

Falcon turned down the hall to see Meta Knight running towards them. He realized what he had said and jumped away from the carcass, nearly flattening Lucas behind him. The blonde boy screamed.

"You fool! Don't touch it!" shouted Meta knight as he threw himself between Falcon and the corpse. Falcon rubbed his nose and stood up.

"There you are! What's the idea ditching us back there!?" shouted Falcon in response, not even acknowledging the Star Warrior's pleas.

"Where did you touch it?" asked Meta Knight quickly.

"What?"

"Where did you touch it!?"

"Touch what? That guy?"

Meta Knight turned around to examine the corpse, hovering his gloved hands over the wound in the neck. He turned back to the shocked survivors.

"Did you touch it's neck?" asked Meta Knight, his golden eyes locked on Falcon's. Falcon brushed the dust off his shoulders.

"No. All I did was remove his mask. Not much to see down there," he replied.

"Are you sure you didn't touch his neck?"

"Why the hell would I want to touch his neck?"

"This man wasn't killed by a zombie. He was poisoned."

The sound of the word caused Lucas to whine again as he cowered behind Falcon. Falcon crossed his arms, unimpressed at Meta Knight's comment. The Star Warrior continued.

"Apparently, he was bitten by a large snake, which explains the gashes on his neck. He survived the attack, but the venom in his blood finished him off."

Falcon and Lucas stared at the corpse before turning back to their friend.

"A snake? How can you be so sure?" asked Falcon.

"He was holding a letter. His last words were scribbled down rather quickly," replied the Star Warrior as he produced a small paper and read it. "The writing is almost illegible, but the message can be made out. He was hired by Umbrella. His orders were to release the giant snake that was being held in captivity on this floor into the mansion. The monster turned aggressive and went rampant throughout it's 'caged room'. This man was attacked, but he managed to escape, sealing the room with a key. He had dropped his reports from the lab while in the snake room, but had no choice but to flee, otherwise he would have been killed on the spot. In a desperate attempt to seek out the 'serum', he collapsed to the floor, here, as the poison soon circulated through his body. He wrote that, judging from the amount of venom injected, he only had a couple of minutes to live. The last few lines are about his girlfriend and how he's sorry he won't be able to come home...Then it ends abruptly."

Meta Knight ripped the paper to shreds and tossed it onto the corpse behind him. Falcon and Lucas continued to stare as they took in all this new information.

"Where is the snake?" asked Lucas.

"Who gives a shit where the snake is! Why the hell did you ditch us back there!?" shouted Captain Falcon arrogantly.

Meta Knight slapped himself before replying.

"You fool! Did you not hear a word I said! This man dropped his lab reports in the room with the snake! That only proves that, somewhere in this mansion, there is a secret laboratory! Most likely the laboratory where they are keeping the others!"

Falcon backed off in realization. He felt really stupid there. Lucas stepped in front of him.

"Then, you know where the others are?" he asked with hope.

"We may be able to find out if we find the documents this man dropped earlier," replied the Star Warrior.

"Yeah, fat chance of that. He dropped it in the snake room! And you said he locked it up afterwards! How are we supposed to get the reports if we can't even get in the room?"

Meta Knight opened his cape to reveal a shining blue key in his hand.

"I already inspected the door. It's sealed tight. This key is our only chance of locating the papers," said Meat Knight.

"You stole that," said Falcon, trying to be a good citizen.

"I didn't steal it if he's not going to need it anymore."

"Well then what are we waiting for? Let's go!" said Falcon, as he reached for the key in Meta Knight's hand. The Star Warrior folded his cape again, blocking Falcon's hand from reaching the key.

"Hold on. I have to warn you. This snake is like no ordinary snake," said the short warrior.

"It's no big deal is it? I mean, you said it was large. How big could a snake possibly get?"

"Bigger than the room we are standing in."

Falcon and Lucas immediately looked about the small room. The snake was bigger than this room? That wasn't a snake. That was a monster! Lucas started to feel cold as he hugged himself.

"Is it near here?..." he asked, shivering a little.

Meta Knight pointed to the door on the other end of the hallway.

"I already went to the next room. That door leads to a small hallway. Beyond that, lies the reports we need to retrieve. Whether that monstrosity of a reptile is still there or not, I do not know."

Falcon tapped his foot on the soft carpet below.

"Well, there's no point in wasting time by just standing here! Let's go get those reports!" he said heroically, not even considering that fact that their mission could be more dangerous than anything they've faced so far.

"Indeed," replied the Star Warrior. "I will lead."

Lucas, who was still nervous, did not speak up. He didn't want to bring the team down, no matter how scared he was. He stood tall, a look of determination in his eyes. He wasn't going to run away. he wasn't going to sit down and cry. It was time to fight his fears.

Meta Knight gestured or the other two to follow him to the next door. Falcon expected Lucas to walk close by, but unexpectedly, the blonde boy went ahead of him.

Meta Knight easily opened the wooden door and the survivors found themselves standing in a small boxed hallway with two doors; one to the left and one at the top of a fews stairs. A zombie was lying on the floor in a pool of blood; obviously Meta Knight had already taken care of this one.

The hallway reeked of rotted intestines. The poorly decorated walls wee smeared with crimson. But the most distinctive feature of all would have to have been the cobwebs and wooden planking piled in front of the door on top of the steps.

"Judging from the debris on the floor, this room used to be sealed," said the Star Warrior. "Someone, or that soldier, could have taken it down in an attempt to investigate what was behind the door."

Falcon had his shotgun ready at his side. He had a nervous face behind the reflection of his helmet. He almost didn't want to do this anymore. Something abut that door didn't seem right. The key dangled in Meta Knight's hand as he revealed it for the second time. He walked up the stairs to unlock the door.

The blue key stuck fast and activated the tumblers in the lock with ease. Once it clicked, Meta Knight discarded the key.

He grabbed the knob and turned back at his fellow survivors. They both gave a sharp nod. He returned the gesture.

"Now!"

All three of them burst though the door into the new room, quickly scanning about for anything hostile. Not one of them said anything. Everything was quiet. Even the smell of corpses seemed scarce. The room was rather damp and musky, wooden crates stacked every here and there. It was quite a large area, as if it was used as some kind of storage facility.

Meta Knight drew Galaxia, allowing moonlight to reflect off of it through the cracks in the ceiling. Rain poured down into the damp room from the holes up above. And still, everything was quiet.

He waved a hand to his right, signaling for Falcon to scout ahead. Falcon received the order and ran up, weapon at ready. He cautiously ran around the boxes, examining anything near or around them. He came across a scattered pile of papers, all of which used to belong to the nearby clipboard on the floor.

"Hey, I found something," said Falcon.

Lucas and Meta Knight ran over to inspect. Indeed, these were the papers they were searching for. There was a whole pile of files, each one containing a picture of a smasher clipped to the corner. Falcon holstered his gun and shuffled through the files. He recognized each and every person in the pictures, ranging from Mario all the way to Sonic. What was disturbing was the fact that each paper had labelled information about each person: Name, Age, Sex, Species, Blood Type, Known Abilities, and Test Subject Number.

"Test Subject?" asked Lucas out loud.

"I don't like the sound of that," replied Falcon as he attempted to gather the papers.

"It seems as though they are using us to conduct experiments," said Meta Knight, sword still in hand.

"Yeah, but why? And how the hell did they get all this information? Look, here's me! And I don't even have my helmet on! What's going on here?!"

"I do not know. Even with simple deductive reasoning, it doesn't make any sense."

"What?"

Falcon stood up, abandoning the papers for now. Meta Knight looked about the room before speaking.

"It's virtually impossible for any of these people to know who we are. Those facts, and those pictures, they are all classified information. And considering our location in the world, I would say that very little people know of our existence. Judging from all the files here, and the recent turn of events like how Umbrella discovered us, it can only mean one thing."

"And that is?..."

"Someone is a traitor."

Falcon and Lucas were stricken by this.

"A traitor?!" Lucas choked as he nearly fell on the cold floor.

"Yes," replied Meta Knight as he glanced about the room again.

"That can't be. All of us are being held captive in this mansion."

"True. But Umbrella could have turned against whoever the betrayer was for their own benefits. It is the only logical answer to this puzzle."

Meta Knight's golden eyes scanned the room.

"But...who could it be?" asked Lucas.

"I don't know. It could be anyone. The traitor...could even be one of us."

The three smashers glanced looks at each other. There was a possibility that one of them was the traitor. Obviously, no one was going to admit it. And they would even feel more bad for accusing someone else.

Meta Knight brought his attention back to the damp room they were standing in.

"Indeed," he said.

Lucas stared at his picture on the floor.

Falcon out a hand to his chin, looking as if he was pondering life's greatest mystery.

"Hey Meta Knight, why do you keep looking around like that?" he asked.

The Star Warrior glanced at him and continue to survey the area.

"We are not alone in this room."

Lucas snapped to attention again.

"Something is coming," said the Star Warrior.

Falcon drew out his weapon and looked about the room, trying to locate the possible threat.

The three survivors stood in the centre of the large, square room, backs against each other. All of them bearing the same worried expression on their faces.

"Where is it?" asked Lucas.

"Shh, listen," replied Falcon.

The survivors went silent.

The only thing that could be heard in the room was the faint sound of hissing.

Meta Knight couldn't stopped turning his head from side to side. He couldn't locate the source of the hissing. It was so close, it was as if the snake was right on top of them.

"_That's it_."

The Star Warrior looked up to see a large pair of fangs swoop down towards him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Ike flinched at the sound of screaming. It was soon followed by quick bursts of a firearm, but he couldn't tell what it was. The arrow head was clutched tightly in his hand, the head band still securely wrapped around his mouth. He felt like turning back, but he couldn't. He's come too far to turn back.

The swordsman walked down the stairs and into the cemetery. Rain was pouring down hard, thunder and lightning following suit. Ike did not react at all. After tonight, he could easily manage to think of ten things scarier than a thunder storm. He ignored the rain as the water caused his blue hair to droop in front of his eyes. He pushed it out of his way, but it continued to remain plastered to his forehead.

This cemetery, which he and Falcon had investigated earlier, looked strangely different. Maybe it was the dramatic change in weather? Lightning lit up the sky and illuminated his face. The blood was now washed clean off his body, which he considered a good thing. Yeah, it definitely wasn't he weather that got him. Maybe it was the fact that the walking corpse he and Falcon killed earlier was no longer lying in the dirt? He realized this as he passed by the spot. That was most likely it.

If he doubted it before, Ike was convinced now: Someone was going around and clearing away the bodies. It was impossible for the body to decompose in such little time. A janitor would only prove why the dog carcass wasn't in the foyer. It also proved that there were other people running around in this mansion. People with a job for disposing of dead bodies. The thought of it was disturbing, but Ike shook it off.

He was beginning to catch a chill from all this rain.

There was so much water, he could barely see 5 feet in front of him. He navigated his way through the tombstones until he came across the large tomb; the one with the angel embedded on the front. Ike noticed the small grove and placed the jade treasure in the hole. The arrow head fit perfectly. Thunder roared up above, but he continued to ignore it. A rumbling sound was heard as he giant tomb opened up to reveal a set of stone stairs. The stairs led deep underground.

"_Maybe I'll find some answers down here_."

Ike drew his sword and walked down the steps. His footsteps echoed through the small entrance as he continued to move deeper and deeper underground. He still felt cold, regardless of the fact that there was less wind and rain beneath the earth. He felt somewhat safer compared to how he was in that mansion. Hopefully, Ivan didn't have any cameras lurking in the cracks. Heh, fat chance.

Ike's only known the sick man for a few hours. But that was more than enough time for him to know that Ivan was mentally insane, regardless of his position in Umbrella. No sane person would put innocent people through this kind of torture; this nightmare. Ivan would stop at nothing to make sure Ike suffers. But for what purpose? He had the chance to kill him before, but instead, he threw him in the middle of this madhouse, forced to run for his life from Hell's rejects.

Oh how Ike wished he had a different life. A normal life. A life where he could move out to the country and relax all day long. A life away from the stresses of the brawls and other inconveniences, like the invasion of Subspace. Now that Tabuu's dead, the chance of another invasion is slim to none, but the recent event of Raccoon City nearly killed him. He still had scars on his back from what Orlow had done to him. Those whip lines still embedded in his skin. They were a part of him now. A little reminder to make sure he doesn't leave the grounds again. But does this time count? Probably not, considering he was kidnapped from his home, as well as the other smashers. He couldn't wait until the time when he drives his sword through Ivan's heart.

The want to kill was building up inside him. He had a lust for blood. A lust for the sight over someone dying right before your own eyes. It pained the poor swordsman to wait for his time. But he had to fight back the pain. Otherwise, he would only end killing himself, or letting the virus kill him.

The G-Virus...What was it really? The scientist claimed it to be more powerful than the T-Virus. It didn't sound very threatening. Ike didn't feel sick at all. Actually, he felt pretty damn good. The adrenaline was really rushing through his body. Now all he needed was a zombie to take out all the energy on. Maybe his wish will be answered.

Ike stumbled into the underground furnace room. Several cogs and mechanics were rotating on the ceiling, above the furnace on the far end of the room. It was warm down here. Ike savored this moment. He took of his heavy, wet cape and tossed it by the fire to dry off. He went over to the fire and sat down, trying to recharge his stamina.

He sighed.

The heat felt so good. He felt secure, safe. Which was strange considering the circumstances. He was a lab rat, running around in a giant maze. It's funny to look at life from that kind of perspective, but it was the truth. Ike could barely remember the day he actually took the time to line down and look at his life. All the people he's met, the places he's been, they're all just kinks in the metal of his sword. All that matters is Ivan's death.

"Taking a break, Ike?"

The swordsman looked up to see a camera mounted to the ceiling. He turned away from it and stared into the flames.

"Yes," replied the swordsman to Ivan's annoying voice.

"I see. You know, you really shouldn't be wasting time. Or does it not matter that you have a virus moving through your veins?"

"I'm well aware of the virus, Ivan. I'm just trying to enjoy myself by the fire here. It's the closest thing I have to home right now."

"Home. Of course, I understand. However, I cannot allow you to be sitting around idly. There are plenty of rooms in that mansion that still need to be explored. Need I remind you that your friends are still in my captivity."

"Your words mean nothing to me. I will fight for my friends until I die, but I will not fall to your empty bluffs." Ike continued to stare at the fire, the redness of the flames clashing with his blue eyes. "So, if you don't mind, I would like to enjoy my free time alone."

"You don't understand the significance of this operation. If you can't be motivated, then I have no choice but to make you."

Ike raised an eyebrow, but ignored Ivan's comment.

Nothing could disturb his peace. He was alone. And life edged on slow. The sound of metal clanking made Ike jump to attention.

A metal barrier descended in front of the tomb entrance, sealing off Ike's only exit. He rolled his eyes, unamused.

"Great, now what?"

"You brought this upon yourself. Now, may I direct your attention towards the North wall?"

Ike turned his head to the left at the other end of the room. The area by the North wall opened up into a slightly larger room. A rusted coffin was suspended near the ceiling by four diagonal chains, blood dripping out of the bottom and on to the stone floor. Ike stood up, drawing his sword and leaving his cape.

The coffin was making a weird jangling sound. Something was inside it.

"What did you do?" asked the swordsman as he cautiously approached the high casing.

"I'm just going to teach you a lesson. Never again will you go against my orders."

Suddenly, the coffin started shaking violently as one by one the chains started snapping off. Ike flinched for each piece of metal that broke. The last chain snapped and the rusted metal casing landed roughly on the ground facing upward. The sweat was starting to return to his head.

"What's in there?" asked Ike nervously.

He didn't' get a reply from Ivan.

The coffin lid was heaved open by a red, undead hand with black claw-like fingernails. The Crimson Head removed the cover of the coffin completely and stood up. Rusted chains dangled from it's neck, wrists and ankles. Black side burns ran up and down it' face as it breathed heavily, staring at the swordsman with those red, dead eyes.

Ike continued to stare. It was another one of these freaks. And this time, he was locked in a room with it. Not just any room, but the furnace room underneath the cemetery. If he were to call for help, no one would hear him. Well, beside Ivan, but he didn't seem to care whether Ike died or not.

The bare-footed monster stumbled for a few steps before roaring loudly. Ike flinched when the monster sprinted at him. He had not anticipated an attack so quick. Ike dodged to the right, hoping to get around the zombie's assault. The Crimson Head reacted quickly and slashed across the swordsman's chest with it's left arm. Ike was thrown back into the wall, crying in pain. He barely had time to react as the zombie followed through with a straight swipe. The monster dug it's claws into Ike's torso, twisting through his armor. Ike spat out blood as the sword fell from his grasp. His head band had fallen to his neck from the attack.

He managed to pull himself together.

Ike bit his tongue as he lifted his arm and slugged the creature right in the nose. The monster flew back and landed on the ground, but quickly got up again. Ike stumbled on his feet, feeling the deep wound implanted on his chest.

The monster ran for another charge attack. This time, Ike dodged to the left. The monster noticed it, but did not attack him. Instead, it stopped in mid-attack and turned to face the swordsman.

Ike retreated to the furnace, a bit dumbfounded doubt what just happened.

"_It could have attacked me just there, but it didn't. Why_?"

Perhaps this thing did have a weakness?

The zombie roared again and sprinted at the warrior. Ike gritted his teeth as he dodged to the right, only to be ambushed by the stampeding monster. Another gash found itself across Ike's front. He flew back into the furnace, nearly being thrown into the flames themselves.

"_It got me that time. Just like before when I dodged to the right. It anticipates that_."

The zombie started approach slowly, as if it already knew it' prey was at its limit. Fortunately, Ike had a few tricks up his sleeve. His picked up his discarded cape and dipped the end of it into the fire. He pulled it out as the flames crept all the way to the end of the fabric. He swung it about in the air carelessly.

"_Fire is the destroyer of all living things. Maybe...Just maybe_..."

The zombie charged again, arms flailing wild. Ike dodged to the left with his flaming cape in hand, the zombie didn't even attempt to attack. As it's back was turned, Ike tossed the burning fabric onto the monster. The Crimson Head instantly caught fire and started running about recklessly. Ike backed away, a smirk appearing on his face. However, the zombie was not down yet.

It noticed the retreating swordsman and ran towards it, attempting to bring down Ike with him. Ike saw the creature coming at him fast. It grabbed a hold of his shoulders and attempted to take a bite out of his neck. He fought back the flaming body as the heat penetrated his skin. He cried out as he threw the body off of him.

As the monster was stunned, Ike reached for his sword and slashed across the chest of the monster. It stepped back from the blow, but still stood. Ike followed through with another assault, this time on the face. The flaming monstrosity refused to go down. Ike slashed and hacked at the body, forcing back farther and farther until it hit a wall. That's where things got ugly.

"Die! Die! DIE!"

For each slash, Ike yelled at his foe. Very harsh words indeed. Each attack was critical, landing in a different spot each and every time. The monster was so horribly mangled, you couldn't even tell it used to be human.

"DIE! DIE!! DIE!!!"

Ike stabbed the zombie through the head. He put all the strength his body could give into the attack. The sword had driven right through the monsters head and into the stone wall behind it. The monster breathed it's last as it died, mouth hanging open. It died standing up, unable to fall due to it's head being locked in place by the sword.

Ike didn't even attempt top pull out his weapon. He just stepped back and fell on the floor. The pain started to return to him as blood seeped through his armor. He reached for his First Aid Spray.

"Well, well, good show," said Ivan's voice.

Ike grimaced at the sound and took off the armor on his chest.

"Don't talk to me," he replied rudely.

"I thought it would be only fair to demonstrate to you what could happen if you go against my word again."

Ike applied the medicine, finishing off everything that was in the can. The blood disappeared and the flesh started to heal back at an incredible rate.

"I could have died. What use would I be to you then?"

"You wouldn't have died. I knew you wouldn't have died. The virus won't allow it."

Ike replaced his armor and stood up, walking over to the coffin which the monster had risen out of.

"Yes, of course. Please tell me more. It's so interesting when you make it sound like you know more about me than I do," said the swordsman as he peered into the case.

The coffin was completely empty, except for a small, silver medallion which lay in the centre. Ike picked up the hexagonal object and pocketed it.

"If you are on the verge of death, the virus will kick in and protect you. You are it's host. Without a host, the virus will die. That is why you've survived up until this point. The G-Virus really does have a mind of it's own."

"You and your G-Virus. Look, I don't care if there is a virus in me or not. All that matters is that when all this is over, I'm going to kill you. And it's going to be a death far worse than the one I gave to 'Dead-Head-Fred' over there."

"Very gutsy for someone who nearly had his head handed to him. Quite literally."

"Look, I don't have time for this. Just open the door so I can get out of here."

"Very well. But remember, you have been warned."

"Like I care."

The metal barrier rose and the stairs were revealed to the swordsman.

Thunder and lightning continued to parade in the sky. The rain wasn't letting up either. Ike felt the cold wind rush down into the warm room. He almost didn't want to leave, but he knew he had to.

He walked up the stairs and into the cold rain.

The burning zombie at the bottom of the stairs remained motionless.

The sword was still wedged through it's skull.

And the rain coming in did not douse the fire.

The heat that Ike had felt when he and the zombie locked arms was unbearable.

The coldness of the dark felt refreshing.

The sweat from his head had disappeared.

He was cold again.

But this time, he allowed it to pass through his body.


	8. The Second Side

After Dark: The Mansion Incident

Chapter 8: The Second Side

" Sir, I've released the Hunters. The survivors will be meeting up with them shortly. Also, the bodies have been cleared out of the previously entered rooms, just as you ordered."

"Very good, Clyde. That should increase tension among the survivors. The fact that there is someone else down there removing the bodies will only make Ike more suspicious of my true intentions."

"Yes sir. But why go to the trouble? Do you want them to know that there is a soldier in the mansion with them?"

"..."

"..."

"Clyde?"

"Yes?"

"Have you ever heard of the old saying, d_eath is the great leveller_?"

"..."

"..."

"I have not, sir."

"Well, in a manner of speaking, you could in fact relate that expression to this operation."

"How sir?"

"There is too much evil in this world. Each and everyday, humans come one step closer to self destruction. Face it, Clyde, we are a terrible race. We hunt. We kill. We betray. We do whatever we can to hold on to that one last breath of life. Clawing to the surface. Reaching out to reach the top. Because ultimately, everyone has to face death. It's _how_we face it that's the trick. Who knows. I may end up dying performing the task that I was destined to do. Or, like most people, I could end up dying due to someone else's ignorance or influence. It is a different kind of thinking plain, if you will. What I hope to accomplish from this is to turn the human race as it should. The virus is the key to that concept. Wesker can tell me whatever he wishes to create a 'New World,' and I will forever agree with him. But, as I said before, men are back stabbers. Sooner or later, he's going to become suspicious of my actions and he will kill me. He may very well kill us all, Clyde. Which is why this operation is of the utmost significance. If we succeed, _death_will no longer be something we fear. It will be something we will look forward to. Something to enlighten us on our path to our 'New World.' That, Clyde, is why we must accomplish our mission."

"..."

"..."

"I understand sir. But I thought-"

"Hm?"

"Um. Nothing."

"Quite. Now, why was it you came in here again?"

"Oh, to inform you about the Hunters."

"Ah, yes, I remember. And what of that subject from Raccoon City? Did you clear that soldier's name like I asked you to?"

"..."

"?..."

"Yes, sir."

"Why do you hesitate to reply?"

"I beg your pardon, sir?"

"Are you nervous about something, Clyde? I can assure you we are untouchable where we stand at the moment."

"I'm well aware, sir."

"Is there something the matter?"

"..."

"..."

"There is sir."

"Do tell. I cannot allow, whatever this is, to affect you in your line of duty."

"It's about that list, sir. About the soldiers from Raccoon City."

"What about them?"

"The soldiers. One of the soldiers. I cannot..."

"..."

"Sir, may I be excused?"

"No, no, what's wrong with you, man?"

"I..."

"..."

"I'm...not sure if we are doing the right thing..."

"The _right_ thing? Are you sure?"

"..."

"?..."

"I am..."

"..."

"..."

"That is only opinion."

"Pardon?"

"Your opinion on what the _right_ thing is completely glares in contrast from mine."

"Um, sir?..."

"What is _right_, Clyde?"

"Hm?"

"Tell me, what do you think is the _right_ thing at this point?"

"Well, there are a number of things."

"Enlighten me."

"..."

"..."

"This mansion. The kidnapping. The people. This operation."

"I see what you mean. However, you are completely forgetting about what I said earlier. This operation _is_ the _right_ thing, Clyde. And you want to know why?"

"..."

"It is because no matter what you do in life, no matter how hard you fight for the top, no matter how many people you betray, no matter how many times you come back after being knocked down, there is always something, someone, that will be there to throw you back to where you belong."

"..."

"And I'm sick of it!"

Ivan slashed his hand across the desk, causing several files and papers to fall to the floor. Clyde did not react, but he did take a step back for safety.

"You try and try to protect those you care about, but then someone always has to step in your way! You can't fight it! You can't get around it! It is the ultimate barrier between your goal and inevitable death! And no matter how many frustrating hours you spend trying to solve the puzzle, you end up throwing away all the work you put into it because you are too tired and stressed to just MOVE ON with your life! You know what I mean, Clyde?"

"I'm...sorry sir. I cannot relate."

"Of course you can't! No one was there when it happened! They never saw the terror in their eyes! The horror they had to go through! Even when death was at their doorstep, that damned man couldn't get enough of it! That evil man. That treacherous, immoral, malicious scum form of man that God spewed onto this earth! He is the very reason why I must suffer! He is the very reason why Raccoon City suffered! And I hate him. I hate him. I hate that man."

Ivan took a deep breath, adjusted his glasses and stared at the monitors in front of him. His baggy eyes drifted from one screen to the other until he noticed a large snake in one of the rooms.

"Wesker...is the very reason why they suffer."

Clyde shuffled his feet nervously before taking a deep breath below the gas mask.

"Do you need anything, sir?" he asked.

"Please, if you may, another coffee. That is all."

Ivan leaned back and sighed. Clyde turned to leave the room.

"Wait, Clyde."

He stopped.

"Yes, sir?"

Pause.

"I...never had the heart to tell you this. It just occurred to me."

"..."

"Thank you. You have been a good listener, and an even greater friend. May God bless your soul."

Clyde was surprised by this comment. It made him feel...warm on the inside. He smiled beneath the mask.

"You are very welcome, sir. I am glad to have been of use to you."

"Don't talk like that."

"Hm?"

"You do not need to prove your worth to me. Monsters judge men based on how helpful they are when performing a task. Men, people, judge others based on their person. You are a good person, Clyde. Never let anyone tell you otherwise. You have been the only real friend I've had since the outbreak in 1998. And I feel...guilty for treating you like a mere soldier. You are more than that. You are a human. And you have a gift for listening to others. Sometimes, that can be the greatest cure when treating the most lethal virus."

"Sir...I..."

"Clyde, if we fail this mission, we will never be able to see each other again. And I just want to let you know that you've been a good worker, but an even more valuable friend. I...I'm glad I had the chance to meet you."

"..."

"..."

"Sir...I..."

"..."

"I feel the same way, Ivan."

Clyde turned and left the dark room. Ivan faced his monitors, a tear forming in his eye. He knew what was troubling Clyde. He knew from the very moment he read Private Van Valchev's name on that list.

Clyde and Van...They were brothers. Private Van Valchev of the Umbrella Retrieval Unit, and Private Clyde Valvhev of the Umbrella Black Ops Division. Both kind hearted and determined, both loyal to their company. Truth be told, Clyde was in fact an identical twin of his former brother, the only main difference being that Clyde had longer hair and had no scar running across his nose. Ivan could understand the pain Clyde must have felt upon discovering the death of Van. It only made him feel all the more guilty for making Clyde check off Van's name in the list of dead soldiers.

But, he had no choice.

He had a job, and he wasn't about to turn his back on Umbrella. Not when he was so close to his main goal. Ivan didn't have anything against Ike, hell he didn't have anything against the Smashers. To him, those 'strange-looking-people were merely a tool to get what he truly desired: Revenge. It pained him the most to even think about Wesker; the man who murdered his family; the man who destroyed his home; the man who turned him into the monster he was today.

All Ivan wished for was the death of Wesker. He wished for it to be the most painful, dreadful experience he would ever feel in his life. Sure Ivan would make it sound like small talk over the phone, but in reality, he hated the man with all his heart. Wesker was evil in pure form. He possessed power unknown to man or monster. Even worse, Wesker was a traitor. A man who would turn against his 'friends' for the benefit of his own life. It was he who led those innocent STARS members into the mansion in the summer of 1998. He who assisted to develop the Progenitor and T-Virus. He who turned civilians into monsters. It was he who started the Mansion Incident in the first place. And even though he was in Africa, working on the next phase of Uroburos, he was still influencing this operation, indirectly of course. Ivan said he was working under him, when in reality, he was plotting his downfall. If everything went according to plan, Albert Wesker will cease to exist. However, even if Wesker is destroyed, the virus along with him, it still doesn't mean that the smashers would be let off either. Ivan was already on the top of Ike's hit list. Going before him and telling him his real plan would only get himself killed by the stronger warrior. No, if Wesker did manage to survive in Africa, the T-Virus would be the only thing that would destroy him. That was why Ivan needed it ready by that time. It was up to Ike to determine whether or not the virus was ready or not.

In actuality, Ike and the smashers were acting on a larger scale; not just the mansion, but the entire world. If Uroburos is complete, mankind will be destroyed, or worse, forever mutated by the virus, destined to become the Hybrids of the "New World." The T-Virus was, ironically, the antidote to that virus. Even though it was outdated and somewhat abandoned by most of Umbrella's researchers, Ivan continued to develop it, advancing it further and further with each passing day.

The time would soon come when the virus would have to be tested. And on that day, The G and the T will clash. If the T is victorious, it would have proved to be potent enough to kill Wesker for good. However, if the G remains to be superior, then it would only lead to everyone's ultimate death.

God is a cruel man.

Ivan watched one of the screens as a large cobra lunged at a small group survivors. They all jumped out of the way just in time.

Ivan put his hands together so that the tips of his fingers were touching each other.

"There is no doubt in my mind. I am doing the _right_ thing."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Falcon PAWNCH!"

The snake was sent back into a wall from the force of the powerful attack, hissing in pain. Green blood burst from it's forehead and splattered onto the nearby crates. Captain Falcon landed safely a few feet away and pointed a bloody finger at the monster.

"Show me your moves, bitch!" he said valiantly.

The snake's beady eyes leered at the racer, as it brought itself back into a fighting stance. It towered up high, almost as high as the dark ceiling. The moonlight reflected off it's lustrous blue scales. Rain continued to pour into the room from the holes in the walls and ceiling. The snake revealed it's poisonous fangs and attacked. Falcon back flipped backwards, narrowly dodging the assault, and landed on a stack of crates. The snake followed through and climbed up the crates to snap at the cocky warrior. Falcon barely had time to react as he soon found himself thrown off balance and onto the cold, hard floor, where the snake was ready to finish off it's prey. It hissed menacingly.

"WHOA!" cried Falcon as he stared down the throat of the beast.

Meta Knight appeared before him in a flash and deflected the fang attack. The snake flew upward in pain, leaving it open for an attack. Meta Knight spread his wings and jumped up high, performing a series of sword combos all the way up the abdomen of the monster, until he made it to the head where he executed a mid-air smash attack. Green blood sprayed onto the Star Warrior's mask as the snake slammed back against the wall, creating a large hole where more water started coming in. Thunder and lightning boomed and clanged outside, startling young Lucas as he pulled himself out from behind a pile of crates. Wind soon picked up and lifted the files on the floor into the air. The papers danced around the room until they were blown outside, into the dark. The snake recovered, ready for another strike, but was soon thrown back again by the force of a shot gun blast. It was losing blood to fast in this fight. The snake hissed quietly as it made an attempt to escape through a large crack in the wall. Meta Knight and Falcon stood close to each other, watching the snake make it's retreat.

Soon, all was quiet, and the only sound that could be heard was that of the rain pitter-pattering outside. Lucas revealed himself and joined his friends, completely aware that he had not done anything to help in this fight.

"Where do you think he's going?" asked Falcon, holstering his gun.

Meta Knight studied the green blood trailing across the floor, but brought his mind back to reality.

"We merely wounded it. It seems as though it was tired of fighting us. Hm. But, we cannot let our guard down until we know for sure it's dead," replied the Star Warrior as he walked over to the crack and took a peak inside. He could have gone in if he wanted, but it was too dark to see anything so he rejected the idea.

"Th-the snake was really here..." said Lucas, shivering from the cold rain on his body.

Falcon gave a small sigh and took off his scarf. He tossed on the blonde boy. Lucas was surprised by the warm piece for fabric on his body, until he realized what it was. He draped the scarf around his neck and nodded as a sign of thanks. Falcon wiped the blood from his view and looked about the room.

All the files were gone with the wind, quite literally. This room was now more damp than it had been since they came in here. Actually, it was probably the first room they found that they got some use out of.

If Meta Knight was right about the documents, there was a traitor among the Smash Brothers. But, of all of them, who could it be? Who would be willing to go along with Umbrella's dastardly intentions. Falcon took the possibility of Meta Knight or Lucas being a traitor. For the boy, the odds were extremely minor to non-existent. Meta Knight however; the possibility was still there. He was always the most quiet of all the smashers. He never revealed anything personal about his past. He never spoke what he was feeling. The odds were high. Falcon shook the ideas out of his head. He didn't want to believe it. Meta Knight couldn't have been a traitor; not after all he did for them in Raccoon City. For him to turn on them now would make no sense at all. But if not Meta Knight, then who? Could it be Ike? Or Link? Or maybe even Snake? Of thirty five people, only one of them could be the real betrayer. It was going to be difficult to find the real culprit.

Meta Knight walked back to the two, sheathing his sword in the process and wrapping his cape around himself.

"Come. We must leave here," said the Star Warrior plainly.

Falcon gave a nod before looking up to see a white camera staring at them from the ceiling. He felt the need to say something to it, but he could not bring the words to speak.

"Alright," he replied. "Come on, Lucas."

The trio made their way out of the room and back into the previous small hallway. They were back in the poorly decorated room, which still reeked of intestines. It was sickening. As the three walked down the small steps, Falcon lost his balance and fell over. Meta Knight reacted and caught him and helped him up along the railing.

"Falcon! Are you okay?" Lucas gave a small cry.

Falcon was shivering, his skin turning very pale.

"I...I feel so...cold..." he said, his eyes starting to fade away.

Meta Knight was shocked by this.

"_How is this possible? He must be infected! Unless_..."

Blood started seeping out through the wounds on Falcon's chest. Large teeth marks were embedded on the front of his uniform. He had been bitten by the snake.

"Oh God! You've been injected with poison!" said the Star Warrior, almost losing his own balance on the steps. Falcon coughed.

"Yeah...He got me. Is there...Is there anyway to stop it?" he choked, coughing up blood.

Meta Knight turned away from the sick man and faced Lucas who had a worried look in his eyes. The Star Warrior turned back to the racer.

"I...don't know if there is," he replied.

The light in Captain Falcon's eyes started to disappear.

"I...I think...it's too late...for me..."

"No! It's not!"

Meta Knight looked about the room for anything that could be used to stop the bleeding. Sadly, this hallway was barren, save for a few cobwebs in the corners and by the door; no help at all. Meta Knight was about to give up all hope until he noticed the camera in the corner of the ceiling.

"There may still be a chance. Ivan!" shouted the Star Warrior.

The camera stared at him blankly before a reply came.

"Ah, Meta Knight. Hello there. I can see you are in a bit of a tight spot," said Ivan playfully.

Meta Knight grimaced at the man's words beneath his mask. How could he say something like that, especially when this man was dying?

"He's been bitten by a snake," said Meta Knight, trying to forget about Ivan's last comment. "Please, is there any way we can save him?"

There was a long pause, but Ivan replied.

"There may be. There may not be. I cannot give away that information."

"Is there still hope for him?"

There was another long pause. This time there was no reply. Ivan had shut off the microphone.

Falcon coughed out more blood onto the floor. He was fading fast. Meta Knight cursed beneath his mask. There had to be some way to save him. He couldn't allow this man in his arms to die. Not after all those time he saved his life in Raccoon City. The Star Warrior was in debt to the racer. To let him die now would only make Meta Knight look like a dishonourable fool. He searched bowels of his complex mind for an answer. They had no First Aid Sprays, no herbs, nothing. Not even a communicator to inform any of the other wandering survivors. All they had was that map...

Meta Knight's eyes went wide.

There may have been hope yet.

He reached for Falcon's belt and pulled out the map of the first floor.

"Lucas, does the map say anything about a hospital wing or room with medical supplies?" asked the Star Warrior quickly as he handed the small boy the brown piece of paper.

Lucas received it nervously and fumbled with it in his hands, nearly dropping it, until he pulled it open to examine it. He had no idea of of their location on their map, one because they were on the second floor, and two because the design of the building was so elaborate. He looked for any kind of writing that was legible. Words were scarce on the crumpled piece of paper. However, he noticed one of the rooms on the west side was circled. The words, "Medical Room" was written in black pen in the circle. That was their ticket. Lucas' eyes gleamed brightly as he showed Meta Knight the map, pointing at their new destination.

"Here it is! The room with the medicine!" he said.

Meta Knight nodded.

It was time for them leave.

The group ran as fast as they could through the next door, Meta Knight carrying Falcon, Lucas leading the way in case of any enemies.

They were back in the hallway with the poisoned soldier. Both Lucas and Meta Knight ran past him without even looking at him. They weren't about to let Falcon suffer the same fate.

They burst back into the square hallway, the one with the dead zombie on the ground. Lucas looked at the map. Unfortunately, they were on the second floor, and the map only showed a layout of the first floor. But he knew that they had to get to the west side, so first thing was to find a set of stairs they could go down. The sound of moaning made the group jump as they headed for a nearby door.

The zombie that was slain had risen again as a Crimson Head. It breathed heavily as it instantly noticed the two survivors making an escape. Meta Knight was too encumbered by the weight of him friend to fight the stampeding creature.

"Move!" he shouted to Lucas who was almost at the far door.

The blonde boy stopped to look at the gaining monster. Meta Knight would not be able to outrun it. He ran back, past Meta Knight who stopped.

"Lucas! Don't fight it!" Lucas wasn't listening.

He was not going to let his friend go without a fight. As the monster was about to slash at him with long claws, Lucas stuck his hands out.

"PK fire!"

The Crimson Head burst into flames instantly, causing it to stumble back a few steps, but it wasn't over. It recovered and was charging again. Lucas narrowly dodged the wave of flaming black nails swiping at his body. Meta Knight had already opened the door to the foyer.

"Lucas, come on!"

Lucas ran back to his friend and the Star Warrior slammed the door shut on the face of the monster. The blonde boy pushed a nearby cabinet chair and barred it up against the door knob. The Crimson Head roared and banged on the other side, yearning for some fresh meat. Meta Knight and Lucas nodded to each other before running through the room.

They were in the foyer, the first room that Ike had encountered that night. Falcon was dripping blood on the red carpet as the two carried him down the stairs.

"Ugh...Guys...I'm not gonna make it...Leave me..."

"Do not lose hope. We are almost there," said the Star Warrior to his dying friend.

Lucas ran ahead to the dining room door on the west side and opened it to see if there were any monsters.

"Coast is clear!" he said back to Meta Knight who just finished descending the stairs.

"Do you know where we are on the map?" he replied in question.

Lucas examined the map. It wasn't hard to figure out where they were; the foyer was in the centre of the mansion.

"Yep, only got a few rooms to go!" he said before running into the next room.

The Star Warrior felt Falcon's grip on him tighten.

"You idiot!" shouted Falcon followed by series of coughs. "I...told you to leave me! There is no hope left! Ah-"

Falcon's head dropped. Meta Knight's gold eyes flared a demonic red before turning back to normal.

"Falcon! Don't die! Dammit!"

He didn't reply.

Meta Knight stood there in the room for a moment.

Everything was silent.

Not even the sound of thunder could be heard.

Captain Falcon's breathing had stopped.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"_Three cheers for the champion! Ike!" _

_Link held up a glass of wine to toast for everyone to see. Other smashers lifted their glasses as well. Snake put an arm around the swordsman as everyone was about to take drink. _

"_Hold it! Hold it!" he said as he held a glass in his own hand clumsily. _

_The others stopped what they were doing in respect to the mercenary's words. _

"_I'd just like to say a few words before we get this show on the road." _

"_It's been 'on the road' for over an hour!" shouted Falcon from the side. _

_Snake ignored the racer's friendly words. The noise in the grand hall started to die down as everyone hushed each other. When all was quiet, Snake took his arm off of Link and stepped in to the middle of the crowd. _

"_A few months ago, someone told me about this secret organization...An organization specializing in training the greatest fighters from all over the galaxy!" said Solid Snake loudly. _

_Some of the others raised their glasses in cheer. _

"_Now, of course, you all know me. I simply couldn't pass up the chance...the chance to spar with the most powerful fighters known to mankind! Or unbeknownst." _

_Some of the others laughed at his joke. _

"But, never would I have guessed to meet this many people! This many...good people. No, I'm sorry. I never thought I would_have the opprotunity to meet this many GREAT people!" _

_More cheering. _

"I can't even begin to describe how great you all are! Never in my life have I met such kind, generous, friendly people. Well, I can't really say the same about Ganon_dorf__." _

"_Hey!" _

"_Just kidding! The point is, we've all endured our fair share of pain in the past right?" _

_Everyone cheered, raising their glasses. _

"_We all know what it's like to lose someone we love, right!?" _

"_Yeah!" _

"_We survived the great battle of Subspace! We fought through the torment of Raccoon City! And we lived to tell our story! Ladies and gentlemen, we are fighters! We were born to live life the way we want! And no one-NO ONE- can take that right away from us!" _

"_YEAH!" _

"Now, ladies and gentlemen_,__ I would like you all to turn your attention to this guy here. This GREAT guy. A man who's always taken the time to help others, no matter how inconvenient it may be for him." _

_Snake grabbed Ike by the wrist and pulled him into the centre with him. _

"_Oh, don't Snake," said the swordsman shyly. _

"_Nonsense! You are the champion! You are the greatest fighter in the world! What are you so shy about?" _

"_Well, I don't know." _

_Everyone laughed and cheered for their friend. _

"_Now, where was I?" asked Snake. "Oh yeah! This gut right here, everyone. He's the man! He IS the man! This is HIS night, am I right?" _

"_YEAH!" _

"_Ike, it's our job as your friends to make you feel good tonight, AM I RIGHT?" _

"_YEEEAAAAHHH!" _

"So, I would like to prop_o__se a toast, to Ike, the greatest, no, the most powerful swordsman in the whole world! Congratulations on your victory, Ike. You deserve it." _

_Everyone gave one final cheer as Snake patted the swordsman on the back. They all had their drinks and the party began. _

_ROB was on stage, acting as tonight's DJ. _

_Snake p__o__ured himself another glass of wine and began walking around the room rather clumsily. Of course, he was drunk, otherwise, he woul__d__s never have given that speech. _

_Ike went over to Link and Samus who were talking in the centre of the grand hall.__ Pikachu was sitting on Samus' shoulder, looking about the room.__ Some of the smashers were chatting and talking away in other parts of the large room. Kirby was helping himself at the food stand. Olimar and Sonic even took the liberty to break dance in the middle of the room. Oh yeah, tonight was a party night. _

"_Hey congratulations," said Samus, patting Ike on the shoulder. _

_Ike nodded in response. _

_He really hated all the attention everyone was giving him. Sure, he won the tournament, but he was almost wishing he hadn't. He didn't quite understand the concept that when someone you know does something great, you are supposed to celebrate, because that is the best way to remember all those good times in the past. _

"Hey, have you guys seen Zelda anywhere?" asked the swordsman. "I lost _t__rack of her when this whole thing started." _

"_I think I saw her go out to the balcony," replied Link, pointing to the large door leading out into the night. _

"_Ah, thank you." _

_Ike gave a solemn bow and made his way across the room. _

"_Hey Ike!" _

_The swordsman turned his head, only to be __put in a head lock by __Captain Falcon, who was having a little too much to drink. _

"_How's it going buddy! Congrats on your recent...well you know!" _

"Hey calm down!" replied Ike as Falcon squeezed_ tighter around him__. _

"_Aw come on! It's party time! How's this, I'll go and request a song just for you! To be honest, I'm getting sick of this crap! It's like ROB never heard good music in his life! What are you in the mood for?" _

"_Ugh..." Ike turned his head to look out to the balcony where Zelda was. "Um, I don't know. Something upbeat maybe?" _

"_OK! Disturbed it is then! Hey ROB! Down With the Sickness! Turn it up!" _

"_NO!" shouted the other smashers. _

_If they wanted to ruin a perfectly good night, they would have put __metal music__ on in the beginning. Falcon refused to let go of Ike. _

"Huh, people, people. These guys wouldn't know good music if it threw them in a city infested with fl_e__sh eating zombies! HA! Know what I mean, Ike?" _

_Ike was feeling uncomfortable. He found himself constantly looking the direction of the balcony, trying to escape this man's grasp. _

"_Uh, you shouldn't joke about stuff like that," he ended up saying. _

"_What? The thing with Raccoon City? That's over! I don't know why everyone is so touchy on the subject!" _

"_If I feel like visiting my nightmares, I'll be sure to give you a call." _

"Aw, don't be like that! Come on, why don' I get you a drink! That is, unless Snake got to the _all the wine __first!" _

"_No thanks, I already had some. Uh, do you mind letting go, you're wrinkling the suit." _

"_Oh, whoops." Falcon let go, almost dropping his shaky glass. "Are you sure you don't want anything?" _

"_Yes, I'm fine. Why don't you go see Marth or something? I'm sure he would be more than happy to have another drink." _

"_Are you kidding? Ness is only a kid! He's not allowed to drink, silly!" _

"_I said Marth, not Ness." _

"_Ooohhhh...Well __sure! See ya later, Ike! Oh, and congrats again! Hey ROB! Throw on some Slayer for us to dance to!" _

"_NO!" _

"_Aw, you guys are no fun at all..." _

_Falcon walked over to Marth who was chatting with Lucario and Red. Ike wiped the sweat from his head and sighed. _

_Finally, he was free from the grasp of that drunken maniac. He looked about the hall to see if there was anyone else who wanted to get his attention. Nope, everyone seemed pretty busy mingling, eating or dancing. If he wanted to talk to his princess, now was the chance. _

_He turned for the balcony, only to be stopped by Master Hand's large mass. _

"_Hello, Ike," said the giant glove. _

_Ike looked around him to the door before turning to the conversation. _

"Yes, hi," he said rather hastily.

_Ike could have sworn these people were stalling him on purpose, but of course that would be ridiculous. He wondered if Master Hand find it rude if he just shoved past him without saying anything. _

_"I would like to congratulate you. You did a really fine job. I'd probably crush your hand if we shook, so I'll just give you this." _

_Master Hand produced a small, white envelope and handed it to the swordsman. Ike examined the blank card before speaking. _

_"What is it?" _

_"It's your award. Remember?" _

_"Ah. Yes,I remember. Um, thank you." _

_"Oh, no need to thank me. It is your accomplishment after all. Now, please excuse me. I have to stop Kirby before he ends up eating all the appetizers I set out." _

_"Right. Thanks again." _

_Ike let out a deep breath as Master Hand floated over to the half eaten buffet table. Finally, he was by himself. _

_Ike looked at the envelope one more time before heading to the open balcony door. _

_New music had started playing. ROB had chosen to play orchestral music for this occasion. It really did suit the mood. Moonlight glistened into the already well lit room. It was more pleasing than the site of the expensive chandeliers on the ceiling. _

_The mood had changed all of a sudden as Ike stepped out into the night. The music had dyed down, the only sound heard being a few crickets singing to the stars. It was indeed a beautiful sound. _

_Zelda was standing by the edge of the balcony, Meta Knight on the railing, both of them staring out at the large full moon over yonder. Ike couldn't hear what they were talking about. The Star Warrior heard the swordsman step outside and turned around. Ike smirked at him and he replied with a nod. _

_"Right, I'll leave you two alone," said Meta Knight as he jumped off the railing and walked inside. _

_"What?" Zelda asked turning around. _

_She was met face to face with Ike's eyes. She didn't even see Meta Knight leave, but it didn't seem to matter. She turned away and faced the moon again. _

_"Hi," she said, staring out as if in a dream. _

_"Hey," he replied, taking a place next to her against the railing. _

_There was some silence between them here. Not one of them seemed to notice. They just enjoyed being in each other's company. Zelda quietly cleared her throat before speaking again. _

_"So, are you happy?" _

_Ike raised an eyebrow at this. He survived one of the most dangerous viral outbreaks in the history of mankind, he was crowned the strongest fighter in the world, he just received a cheque of $100,000, AND he's standing outside with his girlfriend on a clear summer night. What more could a guy ask for? _

_"Of course I'm happy. Why do you ask?" _

_Zelda smiled childishly, causing him to turn to her. She really did look cute when she smiled. She looked at him, but quickly turned back towards the beautiful view. _

_"Just curious. A lot has happened this past month. You should consider yourself the luckiest guy in the world." _

_Ike studied her features for a brief moment before looking back at the moon. _

_"Well, not the luckiest. I'm sure there are guys out there that are ten times luckier than I am." _

_"But, how many of those guys get the chance to stand this close to a princess?" _

_"Ah, good point." _

_She laughed this time, causing him to look at her again. He loved seeing her happy. She was on of the most giving people he knew. She didn't deserve anything less than happiness. She didn't deserve anyone less than him. She stopped and stared out into the distance, Ike doing the same. There was some more silence as they stood among the presence of howling crickets. It didn't even feel like ROB had any music playing at all. Heck, it didn't even feel like there were anyone standing in the room behind them. Ike and Zelda were the only ones there, basking under the moon, gazing at the stars. The perfect way to celebrate one becoming a full-fledged champion. _

_"I got a cheque from Master Hand," said Ike calmly. _

_What an interesting way to start a conversation. _

_"Yes, that's the award, isn't it? $100,000?" _

_"Yep," replied the swordsman, holding up the envelope and then slipping it into his pocket. _

_"But...I don't know what to do now." _

_"Hm?" _

_"I don't need the money. I spent my whole life living in a castle, going out to fight for my country very now and then. I've spent the past few months in a mansion where everything is already paid for. I'll be back to my old life style when I return home. So, I've ben deciding what I'm going to do with the money. I don't need it. You don't need it. None of the smashers need it, either." _

_"Well, I can name a few people who would be willing to take the money off your hands," said Zelda jokingly. _

_"Well yeah. They want it. But this...this should really go to someone who needs it." _

_"You've always been lik that. Always thinking about others before yourself. You would be more than glad to throw yourself in the way of a speeding semi truck to protect a young child wandering in the street. That's what I like about you, Ike. It's..what I've always loved about you." _

_"Well, thanks. It's good to know someone cares about me." _

_"Ha! Don't be like that!" _

_"Okay, okay. But seriously, what should I do with it?" _

_Zelda stared at the moon for a bit, thinking about this. Ike turned to the moon as well, as if he was searching for his answer in the far off craters. _

_"I know," she said. _

_"You do?" _

_"Yep. Donate it to Raccoon City." _

_"What?" _

_"Raccoon City. They are still rebuilding after the outbreak. They could really use tha kind of money to fix up the place." _

_Ike was disgusted by this. Sure, he cared about helping others. But the fact that he was kidnapped, stripped and tortured in that city didn't make him feel any affection for anyone who lived there. _

_"Uh, I'm not sure about that. We were almost killed in that city." _

_"I know. But it wasn't their fault. It was all Umbrella and the Illuminados' doing. The residents are innocent. The least you could do is give them the money to rebuild and resupply. If Umbrella is still alive and out there, they could attack the poor defenseless city again." _

_"I don't think Umbrella works that way." _

_"Well, you never know! You have nothing better to do with the money anyway!" _

_"Does it not matter to you that our lives could have ended in that city? All of ours? I don't want to go back there!" _

_"None of us do, Ike! But neither do those citizens!" _

_Ike stopped at this. He stared into her blue eyes for what seemed like hours. She could feel it too. He was being selfish in the whole issue. Ike turned away and looked at the moon yet again. _

_"You...You're right. They were just as stricken as we were. Some of them more than others as more and more people were being infected. Why didn't I think about it sooner?" _

_Ike felt a tear reach his eye. He didn't consider the lives of the people; the people who were influenced by the entire event. He felt like leaving Zelda out here by herself. He couldn't show his face to her now. Not after she's seen how much of a creep he could really be. Ike was about to turn for the door when he felt a warm hand stroke his face. Zelda wiped the tear off his cheek with her hand, forcing him to look at her. She looked close to tears too. _

_"You didn't do anything wrong, Ike. Don't cry." _

_"I'm not. I...I just thought of something sad, that's all." _

_"Okay." _

_Zelda was about to bring her hand down, but Ike quickly grabbed it, holding it up to his face where it was. _

_"I've...decided to donate the money. Yes, I have. You were right. Those people need it more than I do. Thank you for not listening to me." _

_She couldn't help but smile. He really did put others' needs before his own. _

_"Oh, Ike. I'm so glad." _

_He felt himself pulling her into his body, his nose buried in her hair. The money didn't seem to matter anymore. All that mattered was him and his princess. _

_They both kissed under the moonlight, their silhouettes visible through the glass door in the grand hall. _

_Some of the smashers turned to look, others didn't notice or seem to care. Master Hand wasn't paying attention as he was chasing Kirby around the food table. Snake was swaying back and forth, a beer bottle in his hand. _

_"That a boy, Ike! Give her what's coming!" he said, alcohol lingering in his breath though the air. _

_Good thing the window, was shut, otherwise, Ike would have smashed the mercenary right there. _

_"Awwwwww" said Peach, commenting on the young couple. "See, Mario? Why can't we be more like that?" _

_Mario didn't seem to notice her words, as he was dancing on the stage with Sonic, Olimar and Diddy. _

_"Man, what a way to end the night," said Link as he stared at the two close shadows outside. Pikachu hopped down into Samus' arms and she started to stroke his fur, causing him to make a subtle purring sound. _

_"Does it give you any ideas?" she replied the the Hylian's question. _

_"Maybe..." _

_"Hey Snake! Where did you get that!?" shouted Captain Falcon as he saw the mercenary with his bottle. _

_"Sorry pal, you gotta know that password. 13 digits long! Let me know and it's all yours!" replied the drunk Snake. _

_"Man, you two should leave if you're going to be like that," muttered Marth from the side. _

_Ike and Zelda broke free from the kiss and stared into each other's eyes. Ike couldn't help but smile. _

_"So, what were you and Meta Knight talking about?" he asked casually. _

_She giggled. _

_"Oh, nothing." _

_"Nothing?" _

_"Well, to be honest, he told me to come out here and wait for you." _

_"He did? How did he know?" _

_"I don't know. He's just like that. Strange how he never shows affection, yet...he seems to care about you and I." _

_"There's more to him than meets the eye." _

_"Hee hee." _

_"What's so funny?" _

_"I said the same thing when I first met you." _

_"Heh. Well, can't disagree with you there." _

_The couple held hands and watched the moon rise higher into the sky. The sound of crickets had disappeared. A new song was now playing in the grand hall. Ike and Zelda both knew the lyrics by heart after hearing it so many times. _

_"I can be your hero, baby...I can kiss away the pain...I will stand by you forever...You can take...my breath away..." _

_"May I have this dance?" asked the swordsman as he took Zelda's hand and made a silly bow. _

_His bow didn't look that silly though, as he was serious about the whole proposal. _

_"I'd love to," replied Zelda. _

_Suddenly, Falcon's voice boomed over the entire room. _

_"Turn this shit off! I asked for music ROB! Where's the Metallica?! When I say metal, I mean METAL!!!" _

_"SHUTUP FALCON!" screamed Master Hand. _

_Zelda and Ike couldn't help but laugh. _

_"Well, if you want to dance, better do it now before Falcon changes the song," joked Zelda. _

_"Alright. Let's go." _

_Ike led his princess back into the centre of the large hall and they took the spot light. _

_Tonight was the perfect night. _

_Everyone stood around, some of them laughing, others crying. Ike couldn't even describe the feelings he had. This must have ben what it felt like, to stand on top of the world. _

_"I can be your hero baby...I can kiss away the pain...I will stand by you forever...You can take...my breath away..." _

_Regardless of what Captain Falcon said earlier, ROB kept the music going. _

_Falcon was standing amidst the crowd, a half full (or half empty) glass of wine in his hand. _

_"Yeah Ike! Tap that shit!" he hollered immaturely. _

_Samus slammed him in the stomach with her fist, causing him drop his glass and keel over. He'll certainly know better next time. _

_"Ike?" said Zelda quietly as she rested her head on his chest. _

_"Yeah," he replied, eyes closed. _

_"I love you." _

_He felt the tears return to his eyes again. _

_At that very moment, Ike made a vow. H would never let anything bad happen to Zelda again. If there was one thing he learned from Raccoon City, it was that he loved Zelda too much to just give her away. No, if anything like the outbreak occurred again, he would be the first one to her rescue. It was the least he could do for her. He fought back the tears. Never again would he let Raccoon City happen to her. Never again would he let Umbrella happen to her. Never again would she be put in harms way. _

_"Zelda..." _

_"Yes?" _

_"I love you, too."_

Ike couldn't stop those painful tears from flowing. He couldn't even tell he was crying because of all the rain everywhere. It washed away his sadness, but it soon came back again, just like those zombies.

Ike was sitting on the stairs by the door of the cemetery. The rain hadn't let up since it started, neither did the thunder nor lightning. He wasn't even afraid of getting electrocuted. He couldn't stop thinking about her. About the vow he made to her. Aobut how he failed her. He continued to sit on the cold stone, reflecting on his past life; the life he had before this nightmare.

He sneezed.

The rain was starting to make him shiver. But he didn't care. The rain may have been his only cure to the trauma of the past events. He remembered that night at Smash Mansion. That night in the grand hall. The memory was so clear. It was the greatest night of his entire life. And he treasured it in the very bottom of his heart. From Falcon's rude outbursts, all the way to his dance with Zelda, he loved it all. O what he'd give to go back there, away from this hellhole. Away from this mansion, these freaks, the psycho behind the cameras. He wanted it all to just go away. But these factors weren't just aobut to turn and run if he wished it. They were hear to kill him. Here to make him suffer. And for what purpose? A science experiment? Just the mere thought of it all was insanity! For the first time in his life, Ike knew what it was like to be an animal. Animal's that fall victim to the testing of human virus' and repellants.

"_Except those animals never had to face an army of undead monsters_."

The rain penetrated his armor and flowed down his pale back. It wasn't refreshing like it had been a few minutes ago. The rain was cold. Almost too cold for im to bear any longer. yet, if tat was the truth, why did he stay out there? The door was right behind him after all.

"_The reason why you can't go inside now, is because we need to talk_."

Ike could feel the strange presence inside him. The G-Virus was now active and alive. He could feel it circulating through his veins. and there was nothing he could do about it.

"Please," said the swordsman. "Just, leave me alone."

The virus pounded at his head. He could feel the throbbing sense tingling in his body.

"_Leave you alone? I can't do that. For without a host, the G-Virus cannot exist_."

"Then why do you torture me?"

"_Torture you? My friend, I have helped you. I want to help you. You would not have been able to defeat that monster in the tomb without the me_."

"Well, if it's so good, why does it hurt?"

"_It is that way so you don't try to turn against the me. As long as the G-Virus is in you, you cannot turn against me_."

"Please, I've gone through enough stress. Can I just have some time alone?"

"_You expect me to leave? You amuse me, human. There isn't a single man on earth who has fought against the inner G sample and lived. To kill me, you have to kill yourself_."

Ike couldn't take it anymore. The voice kept booming in his head like a repetitive wrecking ball. Without thinking, Ike pulled out his handgun and pressed the barrel up against the side of his head. He could now feel the tears start to flow.

"I will kill myself to get rid of you," said the brave swordsman.

Lightning crackled up above, illuminating the cloudy sky.

"_Ha! You cannot! You do not have the heart or mind to do so! Isn't there something you have to do? Someone special you have to save_?"

Ike lowered the gun as his eyes got wide.

"How do you know about Zelda?"

"_I know everything about you. I know your strengths, your weaknesses, what you love most, and what you fear most of all. You cannot hide any secrets from me_."

Ike dropped the gun on the wet stones and squeezed his head with his hands.

"Get out of my head! Leave me alone!"

"_That's right! Fight me all you want! I will not leave! As long as you live, so do I!_"

"No! You can't live! If I'm infected with the G-Virus, I won't be able to save her!"

"_You are infected! And slowly...very slowly...you will lose your sense of sanity. You will lose you feelings as a human. Most importantly, you will lose your mind and all the memories you had_!"

"NO! AAHH!!"

A stabbing feeling pierced Ike in the chest. The virus was laughing menacingly at his struggles.

Rain continued to pour down on the broken man.

He screamed, ripping open his chest armor and shirt to examine the cause of the pain. More lightning crackling through the sky revealed the truth to the swordsman. The sight he saw almost caused him to pass out.

There on his chest, was a large, red eyeball, staring up at him with dark intentions.

Ike and the G-Virus...

They were now one.

-

**Author's Note:** I just finished beating Claire's B Mission in Resident Evil 2. I forgot how awesome that game was. More importantly, I forgot how powerful the G-Virus was. And how does one know if they've been infected with the G-Virus? Why, a large eyeball will sprout on their body, of course. Reviews would be nice thanks.


	9. One and Together

After Dark: The Mansion Incident

Chapter 9: One and Together

_Falcon was standing atop the roof of the RPD, witnessing the flames approach him from afar. The city was destroyed, infested by the T-Virus, and plagued by Los Plagas. Everything was gone. All he fought for, all he dreamed for, gone. He stared out into the distance, awaiting his inevitable fate. The battle was lost. Umbrella had won. In a few minutes, the city would erupt into the sky, creating an endless sea of fire. And he would be dead. They would all be dead. All his friends, all the people he met that night, all dead. Even the city was dead, barely even struggling to cling onto what hope it had left. And the light was gone. The light that had been glaring in his eyes in the beginning, was now gone._

_Samus had been standing there next to him, also staring out at the distance. She didn't notice the racer approach her from behind. _

"_You couldn't save them, could you?" he asked. _

_She glanced at Falcon, but quickly turned back to the fires. She couldn't stand the sight of him. _

_That sick twisted man standing behind her, was no friend of hers. Falcon knew that too. He was infected. Not with the T-virus, no. Not Los Plagas, either. Falcon was plagued with the memory of his deceased father, Douglas Falcon. The most influential man in his life. And he despised the dead man all his life. _

_Douglas was a murderer. A sick, twisted scum of man. Falcon remembered those horrid images. They flashed before his very eyes as he looked out at the flames. Images of his mother, beaten. Beaten to death by Douglas Falcon. She was screaming. Each consecutive hit more deadly than the last. And all Falcon could do was stand by and watch. For if he tried to get near, his mother would just bark at him to stay back. And he still had to watch his father beat that poor woman to death. The screaming ceased when Douglas pulled out a handgun. The bullet passed right through her skull. There on the floor, in the middle of the small room, Falcon's mother lay slain; blood creeping across the floor in his direction. He felt like crying, but he couldn't. All he could do was stare at the weapon in that maniac's hands. Falcon couldn't handle it anymore. In a desperate attempt to escape, Falcon ran for the door, not even bothering to look back to see if his father had the gun pointed at him. There were some gunshots, but Douglas was clumsy in his drunken state. Falcon ran for the woods. Away from that killer. Away from his family. He ran away from home. _

_But, he never got over it. _

_Somehow, Falcon's father had tracked him down. Not physically, mind you, because moments after the death of his wife, Douglas Falcon shot himself. He had founds his only son in spirit. And he tortured him from within. He beat him. He infected his mind with his motives. Falcon forever hated himself for being cursed with the name of the man he hated most: Douglas Falcon. _

"_No...I couldn't. There wasn't enough time," replied Samus. _

_Falcon could feel the tension building up inside him. He wanted to tell Samus to run away. For he could not control the beast within himself. His words were slurred as Douglas quickly took over his train of speech. _

"_Even when they were all counting on you to save them. You couldn't do anything," responded Douglas. _

_Falcon tired to control himself, but he couldn't. He couldn't even give her the reason why he had been such a prick to her in the past. It wasn't his fault. It was his father's. _

"_I know. It's all my fault," said Samus, tears coming to her eyes. _

"_Samus, can't yo do anything right?" _

_He emphasized on that last word. _

"_No. I can't." _

"_That explains why you couldn't save them. You can't do anything right. You should have just killed yourself." _

"_Killed myself?" _

"_Yeah. Remember when I beat you in that brawl and you got upset?" _

"_Brawl? What brawl?" she replied, wiping the tears from her eyes. _

"_You don't remember? Wow, you really are useless." _

_Falcon cursed himself for every word that escaped his mouth. Douglas was now running the show. _

"_Could you tell me about it?" asked Samus. _

"_Well, we were fighting on that Battlefield stage. Remember that?" replied Falcon. _

"_Not...really..." _

"_Link, Lucario and Snake were watching us. You know them right?" _

"_Those names...They sound familiar, but...I can't remember who they are...I can't remember who I am..." _

"_Anyways, I beat you, and you got upset for some reason..." _

_Moody bitch. _

"_...You then thought it was a good idea to come here into this city..." _

_Stupid, useless bitch. _

"_...but at the same time, you dragged all of us into this mess." _

"_The mess." _

"_Can't you remember anything?! You know, those zombie things down there! They tried to kill us! They tried to kill you!" _

"_They did?" _

_Samus felt the tears returning. _

"_Yes they did! Samus, I hate to tell you this, but you put your friends in danger." _

_Take the bait, you whore. I want to see the pain in your eyes when I throw you over that edge. _

"_I did?" she asked, the tears obvious now. _

"_You nearly got them killed. You nearly got us killed. And now,a government missile is coming right this way, and there's nothing you or I can do about it. You killed us, Samus." _

"_I...killed you..." _

"_All of us." _

"_I killed all of you..." _

"_Yes you did." _

"_It's all my fault." _

"_Its all your fault." _

"_I should have killed myself." _

"_Yes, you should have." _

"_But, what can I do now? There's no way we'll be able to get out of here alive." _

_Falcon fought back Douglas' urge to punch her right then and there. Douglas complied, but he wasn't done with her yet. _

"_At this point, I guess it's safe to say that your only option is death. Jump." _

"_What?" _

_She still doesn't get it! _

"_Jump! Off this ledge right here!" _

_Samus looked over the edge and into the darkness below. An army of the living dead was clawing at the building, trying to get at Samus' body. She turned back to Douglas. _

"_Are you sure?" she asked, the fear starting to build on her. _

_Douglas rolled his eyes and replied. _

"_Look, this is the way I see it. you couldn't save your friends. You couldn't destroy the virus. You couldn't destroy the missile. You couldn't escape. Face it, Samus. you are a failure at life. Your best bet is to just kill yourself and die honourably. That just may be the only thing you have going for you." _

"_But...what about Link? And the others?" _

_Why won't she just die already!? _

"_Did you not heat a word I said!? THEY ARE DEAD, SAMUS. You killed them!" _

"_Oh...yeah...I...killed them..." _

_Samus looked back down at the horde of zombies. _

"_Okay. If that is my destiny, then I'll accept it," she said. _

_Samus was about to take a step off the edge when she heard a familiar voice behind her. _

"_STOP!" _

_Both Samus and Douglas turned around to see Link standing in the centre of the roof. Douglas looked shocked. _

"_What?! You're supposed to be dead!" he cried. _

_Damn that boy. He's always poking his nose where he doesn't belong. He's going to have to be killed too. The Hylian's eyes flared as he looked at Samus. _

"_Don't listen to him, Samus. We're not dead," he said. _

_Samus looked confused. _

"_Who...are you?" she asked. _

"_I am Link. The one who saved you from that evil. The dark. I am in debt to your actions." _

"_Link..." _

"_Don't jump Samus. We are all waiting for you to take us out of this city. We are waiting for you to take us home." _

"_I can't. The explosion is too close. It's impossible to-" _

"_Nothing is impossible! do you understand!? Don't listen to what he says! He's lying to you!" _

_Listen to him. He sounds like a hero right out of a children's fairy tale. _

"_But he-" _

"_Samus look at me! I am your friend! I care about you! If you were to die...I...I don't know what I would do." _

_The tears ran down her face, splashing onto the cold, cracked cement beneath her feet. _

"_Link...I...Thank you." _

_Link replied with a smile. Douglas was getting sick of this whole thing. Damn that fairy-boy all to Hell! He ruined everything! The battle for control of Falcon's body raged on, but Douglas proved more powerful. As Samus was about to step down off the edge, Douglas ran up to her and shoved her in the stomach, causing her to tumble backwards, and free fall down to the sea of rotting mouths. _

"_Link! Help me!" she cried. _

"_SAMUS!" cried Link. _

"_You're next, fairy-boy!" _

_Douglas drew out his magnum and fired off a clean round at Link's chest. The Hylian was knocked back from the force, landing on his back. He couldn't move; the pain was too excruciating. _

_Douglas crouched above him, shoving the barrel of his weapon down Link's throat. Quick tears appeared in the Hylian's clear blue eyes as he tasted the horrible stench of gun powder. Douglas smirked. _

"_It ends here," he said. _

_He pulled the trigger. The sound of the blast echoed through the city. Not even the moans of a thousand undead civilians could penetrate the sound. It echoed. And echoed. And echoed. Until Link rolled his eyes into the back of his head, and died._

"Please, stop. I can't take it anymore. Don't bring me back there."

"_Heh heh. Why son, why not? It's all fun and games to you isn't it? Racing, fighting. It's all just one BIG GAME. Don't you like games anymore? Remember how much fun we had, you and daddy? You want to play another game?__ " _

"No...Stop it..."

"_I've already killed them all for you. You are the only one left__ ." _

"I don't believe you. Everyone was captured. Meta Knight and Lucas are with me...aren't they?"

"_Do you hear them? They are dead. You killed them__ ." _

"I didn't! It was you! You lying bastard! It was you the whole time! YOU killed my mother! YOU killed those people! YOU...You almost...made me kill my...friends."

"_Heh. You may be right, you may be wrong. Deduction is all part of the game, my son__ ." _

"I am no son of yours."

"_Ah, but you are. It was your mother who gave you that name; Douglas. It was because she loved me so much at the time. She always wished for her first son to be named after her husband, a great man__ ." _

"You scumbag. You betrayed her!"

"_She would not listen to me. All women should be punished when disobeying their husband's. It is the way all society should be__ ." _

"BASTARD! YOU SICK BASTARD! Where are you!? I'll kill you!"

"_Easy boy. Settle down, I won't hurt you. After all...you are my only son__ ." _

"You killed the very woman you fell in love with. What's to keep you from doing the same to me?"

"_If you don't believe me, then I will kill your friends. Every single one of them. Until you are the only one left standing in this mansion. Surrounded by an army of infected civilians__ ." _

"I thought you were dead. But...you came back. You're-"

"_Inside you, no. Part of you, yes. Don't you miss me, son? Didn't it feel great to have everyone around you like you? You were always the most popular fighter__ ." _

"My friends liked me out of fear, not friendship. Some of them openly admitted they hated me! This isn't the life I wanted! Why can't you just die!? Pass on! Go to Hell! Just leave me alone!"

"Falcon! Wake up!"

Falcon sprung up from the sheets and grabbed the neck of the person beside him, believing it to be Douglas.

"You bastard I'll kill yo for what you did to her! I'll kill you!"

"Hey! Let go!"

Falcon opened his eyes to see his hands around the neck of little Lucas. His face was getting red and he was choking very bad. Falcon immediately let go.

"Oh my God! Lucas I'm so sorry!"

"What's going on in here!?"

Meta Knight sprung into the room, sword drawn. Falcon froze in the bed, Lucas crawling to his feet on the dirty carpet.

"He tried to strangle me!" said Lucas, regaining his breath.

"What's that?" asked Meta Knight.

"I'm sorry! It was an accident! I thought he was someone else!" shouted Falcon.

The Star Warrior sheathed his sword.

"Indeed," he replied.

Falcon's head was throbbing. He felt his temples and realized that his helmet had been taken off. It sat idly on the night stand next to him, along with some bottles with weird looking characters scribbled on the labels. He could barely remember what had happened. A large bandage tape was wrapped around his torso. The sudden shock of pain instantly reminded him.

"Wait, I'm alive?" he asked confused.

Meta Knight stepped up to the bed cape wrapped around him.

"Lucas, go keep watch by the door," ordered the Star Warrior.

Lucas was hesitant to react, but he complied. Meta Knight turned back to Captain Falcon.

"We found the medical room using the map you found earlier. It really did come in handy. We are on the west side of the mansion now. Luckily, we only ran into one monster on our way here. It was difficult. But I did manage to locate a serum that proved potent enough to remove the poison from your body. You should be fine now, except for the physical wounds."

Falcon rose from the bed and moved his limbs around to stretch.

"Thanks, Meta Knight," he said. "I owe you won."

"Wouldn't be the first time."

"Heh."

"I think someone was in this room before us."

"Really?"

"Look over there. The shelf is missing some vials, some of which are broken after being dropped on the floor. There are bloodstains in the carpet. The most peculiar thing though, would have to be the fact that there was a large trunk blocking the entrance. Someone must have been trying to barricade themselves in this room. That would explain the smashed door."

Falcon looked over at Lucas who was looking outside through the open door frame.

"That is strange," replied Falcon.

"Also, you were murmuring something while you were recovering in that bed," said Meta Knight.

"Um...I was?"

"Yes. You kept repeating your name over and over again. And you were constantly swearing."

"Heh. Well, uh, I guess the stress is getting to me. Oh!"

Falcon reached over and grabbed his red helmet, sliding it over his head again. He cleared his throat.

"You and Lucas didn't see anything, got it?" he asked seriously.

Meta Knight nodded.

"Okay! So what's our next plan of action?"

"We are not sure. But according to your map, there are plenty of rooms on this side of the building that we still need to explore. I suggest we get moving because we've wasted enough time waiting for you to recover."

"How long was I out for?"

"I will not say. It is irrelevant now, anyway. Let's get moving."

Meta Knight walked out of the room and waited for his fellow survivors in the hall. Lucas glanced back at Falcon before following the Star Warrior. They waited outside by the nearby staircase leading up to the second floor.

"How long was he sleeping?" asked Lucas.

Meta Knight had his eyes closed.

"About one hour. It could have been longer though. I had a very difficult decision to make. I either had to dose him with the sleeping drug to make him feel less pain, or just give him the serum all together. The sleeping pills would have made him drowsy for the next few hours, so I had no choice but to not use them. Surprisingly, he doesn't look like he felt any pain at all from the dose. Tell me, Lucas, why did he try to strangle you?"

"Uh, he thought I was someone else."

"Hm, I wonder who?"

Falcon emerged from the medical room, shotgun slung over his shoulder. He gave a salute.

"Alright guys! Let's move out!"

The trio made their way down the long hall, the same hall that Ike had gone down earlier that night. They didn't even realize that there were bodies that had been removed from that medicine room. The stormed raged on outside, causing the lights to flicker every now and then.

They came across two door at the end, one in front, and one on the right. The door on the right was labelled, "Broom Closet."

Seemed safe enough.

Falcon gripped the doorknob and the three burst into the small room. No monsters. The room was dark, the only light source being that of a light bulb hanging carelessly on the ceiling. A dusty cupboard was to their right, chairs and tables stacked on top of each other in front of them. A silver gas tank sat in the middle of the room. Ironically, there were no brooms in here.

"Search for anything that may be of use," said Meta Knight as he immediately went over to the gas tank.

Lucas checked the chairs while Falcon examined the cupboard. The room was very musky, cobwebs and such hanging in the corners of the room. Of course there was also a camera on the ceiling, but the survivors ignored it. The gas tank Meta Knight found contained kerosene. His canteen was half empty. He refilled the bottle to the max. Lucas found a small dagger, Falcon, nothing.

"Well, there's another useless room for you," stated Falcon.

"Not quite," replied Meta Knight holding up his full canteen of kerosene.

Lucas kept the dagger hidden from his friends. He still couldn't get over the fact that one of his friends was a traitor. He personally thought he had grown to know all the smashers over the course of his stay at Smash Mansion, but looks like he was wrong. If Falcon or Meta Knight did prove to be the traitor, then he wanted to be sure he was well prepared. The dagger wasn't much, but it would have to do. The thought of Meta Knight being the betrayer was almost scary considering how powerful he already was. Lucas didn't want to have to go up against Galaxia, no way.

The three exited the room and moved on to the next hallway. It was really dark in this room. It was also cold, as a cool breeze was coming from the smashed window down the hall. Thin trails of smoke lingered near the ceiling of the room. Lucas shivered.

"I don't like this room," he said afraid.

Meta Knight brushed past him.

"Which way do we go? There are two different directions to chose," asked the Star Warrior.

He wasn't expecting an answer. The question was more or less him just thinking out loud.

"I say we go straight!" suggested Falcon dumbly.

Lucas and Meta Knight looked down the dank hallway with the smashed window. They turned to the right hallway, which had lights on the ceiling and looked like a clear path. When comparing the two, the right path looked like the best way to go.

"That is a stupid idea. Follow me," said Meta Knight as he walked down the warmer hallway.

Falcon shrugged his shoulders and followed suit, not even bothering to contradict the Star Warrior's suggestion. Lucas soon came after, but not before looking back to notice the blood stains on the floor. The hallway contained three doors near the end; one on the left, right and straight ahead. The one at the end most likely lead into another hall.

Meta Knight stopped between the doors on the left and right.

"There are two rooms here. We should split up and examine bother at the same time. That way, we can cover more ground," he said.

Lucas was all against the thought of splitting up, but it seemed like a smart decision if they wanted to save time after waiting for Falcon to recover.

"Alright. I'll take Lucas into the one on the right," said Falcon, pulling out his shotgun.

"Can I trust you with him?" replied Meta Knight.

Falcon put and arm on Lucas's small shoulders.

"Of course you can! What, you think I can't keep an eye on one little kid?"

"I'm not worried about you not 'keeping and eye' on him. I'm worried about him being attacked by anything that may lie beyond that door."

"You have nothing to worry about. How's this: If Lucas and I aren't out of there in five minutes, assume something happened to us. Is that better?"

"Hmph."

Meta Knight turned his back on the racer and proceeded through the left door. Falcon and Lucas stood there in the hall for a moment.

"Jerk. He didn't even reply to me!" said Falcon.

"Can we hurry up?" asked Lucas impatiently. "I don't like it here."

"Oh, right. Well, I hear ya, so you're not alone. I'll go first."

Falcon cranked the doorknob on the right and entered the room. He was standing in what appeared to be a guest room. A messy bed was by the door, various kinds of clothes scattered on top of it. Papers littered the green carpet below. A small desk was on the other side of he bed, lit by a lamp mounted on the near wall. A dead man was lying face down on the floor. Falcon gagged at the stench before speaking.

"Okay, it's all clear, Lucas," he said.

"Uh, maybe I'll wait out here for you," replied the blonde boy.

"Fine suit yourself. I'll be out in a moment."

Falcon wasn't even taking into consideration the fact that he had promised to keep a watch over the boy while Meta Knight was gone.

Oh well.

Falcon cautiously stepped over the body and made his way over to the desk. A creaky closet stood opposite the desk, behind him. He shuffled through the files scattered on the wood. Nothing there seemed to catch his interests. They were merely journal entries of the person who had been staying in this room. More than likely, these entries belonged to the dead man on the ground.

As he was about to turn around, Falcon heard the sound of a door opening. The closet door behind him. The sound was soon followed by a low moan, and Falcon knew what was behind him. He spun around just in time to dodged a zombie that had lunged at him from behind the door. He aimed the barrel of his gun up high, right at the face of monster as it came at him.

"Eat this ugly!"

Falcon pulled the trigger of his weapon.

Click!

It was empty.

"Oh shi-"

The zombie grabbed the racer around the neck, causing him to drop his gun. Falcon was pushed onto the desk by the force of the attack. He quickly pulled his feet up and shoved the monster away from him.

"Dammit! Right when I need it most, it runs out of ammo!"

The dead man from before rose as well. There were now two zombies in the room, both approaching the lone fighter.

"Alright! You guys wanna piece of me!?"

Falcon ran up to the zombie he had pushed away as it stumbled to it's feet.

"Falcon PAWNCH!"

His flaming fist collided with the undead monster and it flew into the closet, causing the door to shut and lock it in there. The other zombie came up beside Falcon and pushed him to the ground.

"Hey! Get offa me!"

The zombie attempted to bite at the racer's exposed flesh on his neck. Falcon could barely fight back the bleeding jaws of death. The zombie moaned as it inched closer and closer to it's destination.

"Somebody!"

"PK Freeze!"

The zombie instantly froze solid on the racer's body.

"What the hell?!"

It had been turned entirely to ice. But how? Falcon kicked the corpse off his body and stood up. Lucas was standing by the door, blue static sparkling at his fingers.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

Falcon dusted himself off and grabbed his empty gun.

"I could have taken him," he replied rudely.

Meta Knight soon appeared behind Lucas.

"What happened in here?" he asked.

"Captain Falcon was in trouble. There were...monsters in here," replied Lucas.

"Yeah! I'm all out of shells! Useless piece of crap," said Falcon.

Meta Knight tossed him a small box of shotgun shells.

"Hey, where did you get these?" asked Falcon.

"They were in the room I investigated. Fortunately, I did not run into any enemies."

Falcon reloaded his gun and slung it over his shoulder.

"Okay, well I found yet another empty room. We're getting no where in this rescue mission."

"Not quite. Investigating the rooms allows us to know the entire layout of the mansion, even without the map. So far, I've memorized the location of every room and hallway we've visited."

"Well that's good. Of course, you know that isn't necessary because I already have a damn map!"

Falcon spoke those last few rather fast, making it seem rather humorous. Meta Knight chuckled quietly, not audible enough for the others to here. Lucas assumed it to be a cough.

"Let us go. There is only a few rooms left to explore on this floor. After that, we explore the second. If the survivors aren't there, we'll need another plan."

Falcon made his way to the door.

"Sounds good. Come on, Lucas," said Falcon.

Lucas looked up. He had been reading one of the journal entries on the desk.

"Oh, right."

Lucas dropped he paper on the desk and ran out of the room. Meta Knight and Falcon followed suit. The three of them went together through the last door.

The journal entry sat idly on the top of the pile of papers.

_June 5, 2008_

_Journal Entry Number 586_

_I can't believe Umbrella went to all that trouble to infest Raccoon City! They really did it this time. Wesker, Ivan, the lot of them. He didn't need to steal Los Plagas from the Illumindos. I knew it would only provoke them into stealing one of the T-Virus samples. And now because of them, Raccoon City must suffer. And Uroburos is nearly complete. We can't keep track of all the virus' running around. Soon, the whole world will know of our intentions. Why won't they listen to me!? Damn it all! This will be my last entry. I've decided to leave Umbrella for good. This isn't what I signed up for. It has gone too far. I need to go somewhere they will never find me. Some where far, far away, like Japan, or Australia. Anywhere, as long as it's away from America. And I still can't get rid of this itching feeling on my back. Perhaps it's an allergic reaction caused by the environment. Yes, that's probably it. the sooner I get out of here, the sooner I can return to my normal life._

_-Dan_

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Ike walked up the foyer stairs on the east side. He knew where he had to go. Although the G-Virus had so far proved to be a real thorn in his side, it did give him some useful information. Like how that medal he found in the tomb was really a key in order to get to the mansion courtyard. Or perhaps it wasn't the virus that old him. Perhaps the virus somehow increased his level of thinking, allowing him to come to that kind of conclusion. Either way, the virus' influence was what motivated the swordsman.

Loud scratching noises could be heard on the other side of th e door as he approached it. The door was being barred shut by a hair that had been propped up against it. There was obviously a Crimson head on the other side.

Ike's only weapon was his handgun, and he didn't know if that would prove helpful when fighting this thing on his own. He was about to move the chair out of the way, when something stopped him.

The eyeball on his chest throbbed, causing him to keel over. He breathed deeply as he shuffled away from the door.

"What?!" he shouted.

The virus was controlling his actions now.

"_You must really have a death wish ,"_ said the low voice inside him. _"If you move that chair, the monster will come out and kill us both."_

"I know that! I would have been ready for it!"

"_The creature attacks with extreme speed and accuracy. In your current state, there's no way you would have been able to dodge, let alone fight that thing. Bad reasoning like that will only cause you to lose your life__ ." _

Ike was getting sick of this thing. He spent the past few minutes sitting outside in the rain, listening to this thing inside him tell him what he has to do. Ike was getting tired of hearing it's constant booming voice. The thunder outside wasn't helping either. His chest throbbed again, making him stand up.

"I can handle this on my own. Stay out of it," said the swordsman.

"_Fool. You do not know what you are doing. Allow me to kill the creature for you__ ." _

"And how do you plan to do that?"

Suddenly, Ike's blue eyes changed into a deathly crimson color. His muscles grew in size slightly. The adrenaline started flowing. His chest was still in pain.

"_Let me show you ,"_ said the virus through Ike's mouth.

Ike reared back and rammed the door with a full out tackle. The monster that had been knocking on the other side flew back instantly from the force of the attack plus the flying debris. The Crimson Head didn't even have time to react as Ike's large hand grabbed it's skull and squeezed it, causing brain matter to fly into the wall in front of him. The headless zombie fell to the ground dead.

Ike's eyes returned to normal, as did his body. He collapsed on his hands and knees to the ground.

"What...What happened?" he asked breathing heavily.

"_Just a demonstration at the kind of power I can give you. Isn't it marvellous?__ " _

"It hurts."

"_It would not be so bad if you stopped trying to resist__ ." _

"I'm not letting you take my body."

"_You don't have a choice in the matter__ ." _

"Dammit, when I find a cure, I'm going to kill you."

"_You can try, boy. But you will never. Each passing second you spend doing nothing, the G-Virus is slowly making it's way to the other parts of your body. You will be seeing some great changes soon__ ." _

Ike didn't reply. He stood up and made his way down the square hallway.

He hated this virus with all his heart. He would have much preferred to be infected with the Plagas. At least you weren't feeling a constant stabbing pain in your chest with that virus.

But the virus did have it's up sides. He was stronger. He could probably lift a fully grown Tyrant if he wanted to. But the odds of that happening were very slim. At least he knew where he had to go.

The mansion courtyard.

It made perfect sense too. Ivan would not keep his friends captive in the very building he was exploring. It would only make sense to imprison them somewhere hard to get to, like outside, or underground. There was always that option.

The G-Virus led Ike around the corners of the hallway, not because he let it, but because it wanted to. It wanted Ike to find his friends. Ike could guess a few reasons why it would want this, but he kept it to himself. Not like he could anyway because the virus could read his thoughts like an open book.

Ike could barely comprehend what was going on.

He found himself being swept down the halls like a rag doll, opening doors he had never been through in his life. He ended up walking into a stair room with pinkish wall paper. The smell of cooking flesh lingered in the air, but he ignored it. Ivan was probably laughing in his seat,watching the swordsman walking around like he knew what he was doing.

The rain outside still did not let up.

Ike walked down the stairs, a dazed look in his eyes. He was tired. Tired from all the running around he had been doing in this mansion. But this virus just wouldn't give him a break. He felt as if he was going to fall down the stairs, but the virus kept him going. He swept down until he reached the first floor again, where he then proceeded to the door, not even bothering to look at the closet beneath the stairs.

As soon as he passed through the door, the virus let go of him, causing him to fall on the floor with a thud.

"Ugh. I'm getting sick of this," he muttered to himself.

"_Get up, boy. Your princess awaits you__ ." _

Ike struggled to his feet, nearly falling a second time, before gaining his balance. He had not been in this hallway before.

"Where do I go now?"

"_The door around that corner. The rest is up to you__ ." _

Suddenly, the pain left. Ike instantly stood tall as if nothing had happened.

"Huh? The virus. It's gone?"

Ike looked down his shirt to see the eyeball staring back up at him. It was still there, just lying dormant for now. At least he had control over his body again. Ike drew his handgun and disappeared around the corner to the dark, metal door at the end.

It was raining out, but he was protected by the balcony above his head. Ike wandered down the cement path. He was boxed in by a low stone wall. Various kinds of plants sat on top of the wall, soaking up the rain. To think, he was that close to escape. On one side, stood the mansion, on the other, freedom. But he couldn't think about freedom now. he had a job to do. Ike jogged down the damp pat until he came up to the final door. The door leading to the courtyard.

It was locked.

He cursed to himself for not realizing it sooner. Figures Ivan would lock the door to his only path to his friends.

He was about to turn around when a small engraving on the side caught his attention. A stone panel was by the door. It seemed as though something was supposed to go in the engraved stone, to act as some sort of key.

The key hole was hexagonal.

As a matter of fact, it was in the same shape as the medal Ike had found in the tomb.

He holstered his gun, produced the gold piece and examined it. The Umbrella logo was embedded on the front of the treasure. Ike fit the piece into place and a small clicking sound was heard.

The door was now unlocked.

Ike couldn't help but smile. He was done with the mansion. The next faze of his plan was coming into action. For as soon as he steps through that door, he will be one step closer to saving Zelda.

G-Virus or no G-Virus, he was going to find her.

And if there was anything that wished to stand in his way, he would gladly take it down. Just as he was about to reach for the door, Ivan's voice echoed through the area.

"Ike. Can you hear me?"

Ike looked up above the door to see a camera looking down at him. He took his hand away from the door. The rain came down hard, but Ivan's voice could be hear nonetheless.

"I hear you. Is something the matter?" replied the swordsman.

The was a brief pause before a reply. Ike reached for the door again, but was interrupted by the voice.

"Good. I noticed you and the G-Virus connected a few rooms back. I have to say, I'm impressed," said the scientist.

"Impressed? What, at the rate it's growing?"

"Well, yes. That and the fact that you haven't fallen to the virus completely."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Most of the people infected with the G-Virus succumb to it's awesome power almost instantaneously. You, on the other hand, have managed to control it and contain it at a minimum level."

"That's one way to put it..."

"It is now lying dormant within your system. I believe...it wants you to make it to the end of this."

Ike looked surprised.

"Why does it want to do that?"

"My only theory is that it wants to take complete control of your body at the peak of your success, to humiliate you. It must know you are different. It's so extraordinary!"

"Don't get too excited."

"My apologies. At this point, my advice to you would be to co-operate with the virus. If it wishes to lend you it's power, then you should comply with it."

"That's stupid! I'll be playing right into it's hands then!"

"Don't you want to rescue your friends?"

Ike was silent for a while as the rain came down around him. He did want to save his friends, but to what extent would he go for them? He couldn't trust the G-Virus. Who knows what it will do when he finds his friends. It could very well consume his body and kill everyone together. What was even more terrible, was that Ike couldn't think of a plan to get rid of it because it knew what he was thinking all the time. He had no choice but to play along with it.

"I...I do want to rescue them," said the swordsman suddenly.

There was another pause before a reply.

"Good. Well, I wish you luck. You may now proceed into the next area," replied the scientist.

"Wait, Ivan."

"Hm?"

"Is it true the G-Virus has a mind of it's own?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"Does the virus work independently? I mean, is it like the Plagas, where the infect-ants are being controlled by some 'mother virus'?"

"Oh heavens, no, Ike. That would not work at all. That is, as a matter of fact, what makes the G so powerful. Any other questions?"

"No."

"Very well."

Ivan shut off his microphone.

Ike stood still for a few moments as he took this in, a grin appearing on his face.

"_This is exactly what I wanted ,"_ thought the swordsman.

"_I know what you are thinking ,"_ replied the virus inside him. _"You plan on using me to kill the very man whom you despise."_

"_Exactly. You don't care who lives or dies in the outcome of this. That's just the kind of motivation I need if I'm going to finish this fight__ ." _

"_From this statement, I can conclude that you don't want to get rid of me__ ." _

"_No, I guess not__ ."_


	10. BONUS CHAPTER

After Dark: The Mansion Incident

Chapter 10: BONUS CHAPTER

Shh. Is he there?

...

Ah, good. Sorry 'bout that, strangah. I was hiding from Smash King24. Don't know what he would to do me if he found me wandering around in his story. Will you keep it a secret for me, strangah?

...

You will? Great!

...

Why are you lookin' at me like that? Haven't you heard of me?

...

Well, there must be someone here who recognizes me. Anyone?

...

Uh, how 'bout you in the back over there, strangah? You know me?

...

Hmm. Not a very lively bunch are ya? Or maybe you're just shy. Ah well. I might as well introduce myself. You can call me the merchant.

...

What's that? You want to know my real name? Heh, strangah, that's not important. You're probably wondering what the heck I'm doin' here. It's pretty dangerous, because I know that if Smash King24 found me, he would have my head. And...between you and me, I'm not supposed to be in this story. Nope! The real reason why I'm here before you is to get some good business in! Look at all the people! All of you are here to read the story, right strangah? Well, think of me as a little detour. I want to start this show by saying, Welcome! What're ya buying?

...

Go on, pick something you like. I got guns, ammunition, medical herbs, even a state-of-the-art tactical vest! And just for today, all items are 10% off! Well, what're ya waitin' for? Go on.

...

Why are you all just sitting around?

...

What's that? You don't want to buy anything? Hm. What are you sellin'?

...

You're..not sellin' anything either? Then what are you doing here?

...

Oh yeah, the story. I bet you're probably wonderin' where the next chapter is. I snuck this little 'Bonus Chapter' in myself. I don't think Smash King24 noticed me add this, so just keep it a secret.

...

What's that? You're wonderin' why I put in this 'Bonus Chapter'? Well, that's a good question, strangah. And I'll be happy to answer. Most of you reading this more than likely did not read the prequel to this story. I suggest you check it out. Personally, I think it's Smash King24's best work 'cause it stars me. It also explains what happened before Ike ended up in the mansion. After reading through the first 9 chapters, you're probably thinkin', "Raccoon City? Is that a real place or he just making this up? And what's with Umbrella? What is it?" My answers to these questions are this chapter. Some of you are new to this, um, type of Horror.

...

What do I mean by that, you ask? Well...think about it. I'm sure most Horror stories you read on this website star a 'murderer' who goes around cuttin' off people's heads, until there are but a few survivors left who must stand up against the villain. Heh, am I right, strangah?

...

That's what I thought. Anyway, After Dark: The Mansion Incident is a different kind of Horror. I'm sure you thought this after reading the first few chapters...that is, unless you saw this one first because of the flashy title and thought it would be fun to read. Well, I'm sorry to disappoint, strangah, but I have no intention of entertaining you today. I'm here to fill in some gaps. And I know that Smash King24 will hate me forever for spoiling some of these facts for the readers, but I think it must be done. Below, I've created an organized list of terms, people, and places you should be familiar about. This should help a lot of you out who don't know anything outside the Smash Bros. world.

...

Well, why are you still starin' at me, strangah? The list is down there!

...

**Arklay Mountains** – The original location of the Umbrella Research Facility. These mountains lie on the outskirts of Raccoon City.

**Umbrella** – The pharmaceutical enterprise for research in bio-engineering. Umbrella specializes in all kinds of medicines and virus' used for the betterment of mankind. They were the ones who created the First Aid Spray, a medicine that can cure, clean, and heal the most severe of physical wounds. It goes into more detail with other things that gets kind of complicated. Just remember this: Umbrella is evil.

**Tri-Cell** – No one knows much about them except for the fact that they help fund the BSAA. Just hink of them as another Umbrella.

**BSAA** – Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance. These guys' jobs is to destroy any of Umbrella's experiments that have been sold to terrorists. Although they are barely mentioned in this story, they play a very important role at keeping the BOW's at a minimum.

**BOW** – Bio-Organic Weapon. From zombies, to Lickers, to Cerberus' (zombie dogs), to Tyrants. A BOW is anything created by Umbrella that looks like a monster or the walking dead. Any monster that appears in this story is a BOW.

**Progenitor Virus** – The first of it's kind. This virus turns the victim into a zombie, plain and simple. The victim's only function is to eat he living alive. Classic for Horror films.

**T-Virus** – A bit of a step-up from the Progenitor. This virus not only turns humans into zombies, but it also turns dogs into Cerberus', crows into zombie crows, and frogs in Hunters. It is also the virus responsible for creating the Tyrant and Lickers. Majority of the creatures in this story are created from the T-Virus.

**G-Virus** – One of the most dangerous of the virus'. This virus turns the victim into a monster, enabling the victim to grow in size, strength and stamina. Once this virus is in your system, you will lose all memory of your past life as a human.

**Los Plagas** – A very unique virus. This one turns the victim into a slave to the Plaga parasite. The victim will not turn into a zombie. The victim will have all his/her senses and abilities as they did before, except they are being controlled by some greater power. Just think of it as a form of brain washing.

**Uroburos** – the most dangerous of all virus'. The purpose of this virus is to destroy all of humanity, turning people into grotesque, leech-like monsters. Only those who are worthy for the "New World" will not suffer by this virus, but instead, will gain power beyond all imagination.

**The Mansion Incident** – This was discussed in one of the previous chapters, but here it is again if you missed it. This was an incident involving BOW's and illegal viral experiments in the Arklay Mountains. Twelve STARS members went in to investigate the Horror, while only 5 made it out alive.

**STARS** – Special Tactics And Rescue Service. This is the RPD's most elite group of officers. They barely stood a chance when they stumbled upon the mansion.

**RPD** – Raccoon City Police Department. The name of the police unit operating in Raccoon City.

**Raccoon City** – A widely populated city in the USA. In 1998, the residents of this city became infected with the T-Virus, forcing the government to launch a nuclear bomb at the centre of the location. The same thing happened again in 2008, where the same means of resolution were kept the same.

**Albert Wesker** – The main villain. Just remember that. He would gladly kill his own partner for his own benefit. He has a lot of fangirls, but he would kill them if they got too close to him. Heh, joke.

**Chris Redfield** – Wesker's long time archenemy. Chris despised Wesker ever since he betrayed STARS in 1998. Since then, Chris has dedicated his life to the tracking down and destroying of Wesker and his creations. Yes, Wesker helped in the development of the Progenitor, T, G, and Uroburos virus'. Chris joins the BSAA to help him with his cause.

**Sheva Alomar** – Chris' partner of the BSAA African Division. They work together to take down Wesker who was plotting the Uroburos Project in Africa.

**Jill Valentine** – Chris' old partner who went through the Mansion Incident with him.

**Los Illumindaos** – A religious cult group that developed Los Plagas. Their research was soon stolen by Wesker and Umbrella, which he then used to infect the good people f Africa. The Illumindos fought back by stealing the T-Virus and created a viral outbreak in Raccoon city, which was the reason why there was a second outbreak in 2008.

...

Okay, strangah! I think that should be enough for now. At least now, you are a little bit more informed on what's goin' on. Keep on reading! Oh, and don't tell Smash King24 you saw or met me. As far as anyone knows, I'm a complete strangah to you.

...

You feel like buyin' anything? You sure? This is your last chance! What? You're leaving? Oh, okay, strangah. You wanna finish up with the rest of the story. But remember! We made a promise! Be sure to buy lots of merchandise next time you see me. Heh heh, thank you! Come back anytime!


	11. Turn

After Dark: The Mansion Incident

**Author's Note:** Hey guys. Sorry about chapter 9. Some of you who read it may have read it with ALL the words italicized. Believe me, it wasn't supposed to be like that. I fixed it now, so those who were confused when they read it may go back and see what my original intention was. I'll be sure to watch out for problems like that in the future. I'm also encouraging my readers to review. Really REALLY encouraging them. This story has like 40 visitors a chapter, so I know I have a lot of readers. I will say this now and I will say it near the end of the story. Those who review before the last chapter is finished will have the honour of having their Pen Names in the EXTRAS chapter I'm putting at the end. I did this with the prequel and I'm doing it with all my main stories. Again, those who review before the last chapter is published will have their names posted in the EXTRAS chapter. So far, SG-Kai, FireE21, metasaur, Clear Blue, MinaDeville, and Niki-06 are the only ones who will have their names in the last chapter. Note that if you review, I will not only mention your name, but I will also put a little thank you notice near your name on what I thought about your reviews/thoughts on the story. I have also allowed people to send in reviews anonymously, so you can go knock yourself out. I will take kindly to criticism. I hope to recruit more reviewers with this system.

Oh, and I recently played through Leon's B mission in Resident Evil 2. Why didn't anyone tell me Ada says she loves Leon in the end of the story? Now that just screwed up the whole love thing Leon has for Claire in Into the Dark. *Sighs* I can't rewrite Into the Dark either. I just messed up the Dark Series really bad now. Oh well, not like you guys care cuz you're all Smash Bros. fans.

Thank you for reading. You may now proceed with the story.

-

Chapter 11: Turn

"This is an automated voice message. Ivan, I am sorry to say this, but our deal is officially off. You have proved to be a most helpful ally in this project, however, I'm afraid your time is up. Uroburos has been halted, or something has happened to me. In either case, this operation is cancelled. Umbrella is through. Do not respond to this message; I will not be able to answer. I want to say that your efforts have proven most useful these past few years, but I am sorry. I have to destroy all the evidence left behind. As a result, I'm dispatching someone to your position to destroy the mansion, the hostages, the infect-ants, and you. I'm sorry, but I cannot allow you to spread the word. This battle is already lost. Do not resist. Your fate was already decided when you joined Umbrella. Mr. X will take good care of you. Good-bye, Ivan Anderson."

Ivan stared wide-eyed at the screens in front of him as he took in all this information.

He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Albert Wesker had betrayed him. It was all so sudden too. He should have suspected this from the beginning. If Wesker was going down, he was going to bring down everyone else with him, including Umbrella.

Ivan couldn't bring the words to speak as he dropped the communicator onto the cold metal floor.

The war was already over.

It was over before it even began.

The fall of Wesker only meant one thing: Uroburos had failed. There was no "New World." Spencer's dream had come to an end. Wesker's dream had come to an end. Ivan was coming to his end.

Wesker was sending a special soldier over to finish the job. But who? Mr. X? Ivan had never heard that name in his life. There was no way he had a soldier named Mr. X. It must have been a nickname, a code name. But Ivan couldn't recognize what it meant. All he knew was he had to get out of here. It was too dangerous now. Between the G-Virus and this Mr. X person, Ivan was in a tight spot.

He couldn't get over the fact that Uroburos had failed. Wesker made it so it would be completed on schedule. Unless, that Chris Redfield had something to do with it. The odds of that were likely, but Ivan couldn't assume anything.

The greater issue was the fact that Wesker was done for. This made Ivan a little more happier, but it still didn't change the fact that his life was being threatened at the very moment. He needed a new plan.

It wouldn't matter if Ivan escaped the mansion. Hell, it wouldn't matter if he escaped the country. Mr. X would find him sooner or later and finish what Wesker had started. He would finish the battle for him.

"Sir, is something the matter?" asked Clyde as he walked into the dark room.

Ivan didn't look at him but continued to stare at the security monitors. He wanted to respond but he couldn't say anything. Ivan realized that his life wasn't the only one in danger. Clyde's life was also threatened. Not only that, but so was Ike, Falcon, and that Meta Knight guy. All the strange-looking-people were in danger. Ivan was contemplating whether it was worth it or not to just resume the experiment. He was close, but there was no point anymore.

If Wesker really was dead, there was no point in testing the G-Virus. Ivan hadn't realized it yet, but he had actually won. Wesker was dead. Isn't that the reason why he joined Umbrella in the first place? To get his revenge on the very man who brought pain to his life? He knew it was true, but even though Wesker was dead, he was still coming for him.

Mr. X was coming for him.

Ivan could feel the fear building up inside him. He didn't know who Mr. X was, and he was too afraid to find out. Ivan was starting to think that the whole operation was a waste of time. He didn't want to torture Ike anymore. He actually felt sorry for him. Ivan didn't mean for any of this to happen. All he wanted was to be part of the "New World," but now, that world was gone. He was left to skulk about in this cesspool of a world. This life.

"Clyde...I..." replied Ivan as he slowly turned in his seat to face the soldier.

The scientist looked away when he set eyes on the mask. He didn't finish what he was going to say.

"Are you okay, Ivan?" asked Clyde, more concerned.

He walked over to the scientist and stood before him. Ivan continued to look at the screens.

"Clyde...I don't know what to do now. It...It could be over for us," said Ivan, lowering his head.

He didn't even bother to fix his glasses which drooped slowly down his nose. Private Valchev put a strong hand on the man's soldier.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

Ivan was close to tears. He didn't want to tell him. How would he react if he told him that death was on it's way to their doorstep? They could always fight back. Ivan did have a squad of soldiers at his disposal. But for some reason, Ivan was intimidated by the very name, Mr. X.

Something about that "X" made him uneasy. What did that "X" represent? It could have meant anything. "X" was a type of variable one would use to solve mathematical problems. It is up to the mathematician to solve for "X" and find out what "X" is. Ivan did not know what "X" was. And no amount of mathematical equations could solve for it. "X" was the unknown variable, the untouchable variable. "X" itself could mean something entirely. It could stand for "X-terminate." "Mr. X-Terminate." Yes, it fit together quite nicely. Mr. X-Terminate, the unknown variable in this equation. The variable that was coming over to kill him. Boy, did Ivan hate math.

"Did something happen to Wesker in Africa?" asked Clyde seriously.

"Wesker...is out of the picture," replied Ivan, the tears returning to nothing. "His plan failed. Uroburos failed."

If Clyde was surprised by this, he made no obvious reaction.

"What about the T-Virus?"

"It is irrelevant now. If we finish the experiment, we'll only end up with another biohazard just like the previous cases."

"But...how could Uroburos fail? It was...wasn't it supposed to be perfect?"

"I'm still trying to figure that out. In any case, this experiment has gone too far. We need to put an end to it, before it is too late."

Clyde couldn't believe what he was hearing. Before the beginning of this operation, Ivan was determined to finish what Spencer had started. He wouldn't let anything stand in his way. But now, he was throwing it all away. All the work they put into the T-Virus. All the money used to construct the mansion and the laboratory. It was all for nothing.

"Clyde, do you know anyone named Mr. X?"

Clyde was silent for a moment as he thought about the name.

"No, sir. I don't recognize it. Actually, I've never even heard of the name before."

"I was afraid of that. I...don't know what I should do now. I don't even know if I have the heart to tell Ike about this."

"Would he listen?"

"I don't know. He is already bent on my destruction. But then again..."

"Hm?"

Ivan raised his head and brought his hands in front of his face, as if he was praying. His eyes bulged widely, the glasses almost dropping from the bridge of his nose. At first glance, it looked as if he belonged in an insane asylum. He finished his sentence talking quite fast.

"...I think I know how to put a stop to this. Yes, it would work quite nicely considering I'm still experimenting on the powers of the G-Virus."

"What are you saying sir?"

"I'll get Ike to kill Mr. X."

"But why?"

"With Mr. X out of the way, we should be able to make an escape. We could destroy the mansion in the process..."

"It doesn't make any sense sir."

"What? Why not?"

"You are willing to throw away everything we've worked for?"

"I..."

"..."

"You..."

"Ivan. At this point, what is the _right _thing?"

Ivan looked up at the soldier. He had used his own words against him. It made him think though. The _right _thing could be anything. It all depended on how you looked at it.

"The _right _thing, Clyde?" Clyde did not reply, but nodded his head. Ivan looked back at the black and white screens. "Perhaps...working together...would be the _right _thing. Wesker is dead. Uroburos is dead. The T-Virus is done for. I guess the _right _thing at this point would be to...do what we can to save the survivors."

"Yes sir."

"We need to kill Mr. X."

"Yes sir."

"We need to destroy this mansion."

"Yes sir."

"We need to let the hostages go."

"Yes sir."

"Oh what am I saying!?"

Ivan slammed his head onto his desk aggressively, not even bothering to lift it back up afterwards. He was sweating, some nerves poking out o the side of his head.

"We can't just end it like this! We were so close! So CLOSE Clyde! The "New World" was just on the horizon! And now that Wesker's dead, what? We abort the operation like that!? We destroy everything we worked for!? I've spent most of my life working under Umbrella, and now that HE messes up, WE have to pay for it! Where's the logic in that!? WE can't even make OUR own decisions without HIM breathing down OUR necks! And now that HE's dead, HE gets to determine how WE die!? I won't have any of it!"

Clyde continued to stand behind the scientist in silence. He didn't know what to say. Ivan looked like a broken man. Destroying Umbrella is like the equivalent of destroying a piece of his life. He was dedicated to the company. And now, it was finished. He was finished.

"Clyde, what do you think the _right _thing is?"

Ivan didn't even bother to lift up his head. Clyde made no reply.

"Clyde?"

Ivan sat up and looked behind him. The soldier was no longer standing there. He had left. Ivan was all alone.

"Clyde, where did you go?"

Ivan stared at the closed metal door at the other end of the room before turning back to the monitors. He honestly didn't know what to do now. He had lost it all.

Mr. X was coming for him.

Ike was coming for him.

Two powerful soldiers were heading towards his position. Both bent on his destruction. And he was all alone. No one was going to help him. He brought this upon himself. And to think, the operation was almost complete.

No.

It was over.

Ivan put his head down on the desk and started to cry.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_When the song ended, everyone was clapping. The couple stopped in the middle of the dance floor and stood together, embracing each other, neither of them daring to let go. Ike wanted this night to last forever. He didn't want her to leave his side ever again. She felt the same. To her, everyone standing in that room was gone. It was just her and her hero. No mansion, no Smash Brothers, no nothing. The faded memories of their past nightmare was buried in the back of their minds. And still, they held on. _

_"I won't ever let anything happen to you again, Zelda," whispered Ike into her ear. _

_His breath tickled her skin, but she did not react. He was being serious. She couldn't assume anything now, not after the outbreak in Raccoon City. _

_"Ike?..." she replied just as quietly. _

_"Hm?" _

_"Could we...maybe...have one more dance?" _

_Ike brought his head in front of her face so that they were looking each other right in the eyes, blue to blue. _

_"I'd love to," he responded. _

_They stood there in silence for a few moments, studying each other's faces, until someone blurted something everyone could hear. _

_"Enough of this crap! Can we please hear some damn music?!" _

_It was Falcon, and of course Ike and Zelda's reply was a sudden outburst of laughter. Some of the other smashers grumbled at his proposal. _

_"Actually, we've hogged the dance floor long enough," said Zelda giggling. _

_"Heh, yeah, you're right." _

_They broke free from each other and walked over to Falcon who was arguing with Meta Knight by the food table. _

_"If they're going to invite me, I wanna hear what I wanna hear!" shouted Falcon arrogantly. _

_Meta Knight rolled his eyes and walked away. _

_"Hey! I'm not done with you, you midget!" shouted Falcon again. _

_"Hey, we're done, so you can go request a song for yourself," said Ike who walked up to the racer with the princess. _

_Falcon never looked more happier in his life. _

_"FINALLY! Alright people! Get ready to rock! ROB! Land of Confusion! Crank it!" _

_ROB gave a nod up on stage and before anyone knew it, Disturbed was blasting through the huge speakers on the ceiling. Colourful lights started gleaming in every direction. All the smashers stood around the dance floor and watched Falcon head banging and playing air guitar in the centre. They all laughed and cheered; Lucas even started to cry. The music was a little loud for him to bear. _

_"When did we get those lights installed?" asked Master Hand. _

_No one heard him due to the loud guitar riffs exploding from the speakers. The hand just sighed to himself and floated out of the room. _

_It was already after 10:00, which was rather late for the smashers to be up. _

_But, it was a celebration. A celebration of friendship and belonging. That truly was what life was about. Spending time with your friends and family when you had the chance. An attitude like that promises a rewarding life. _

_Soon enough, other smashers joined Falcon in the middle of the floor. Even Ness, who never really cared for metal music, joined in on the fun. He pulled Lucas into the centre with him and they started rocking out like they lived for it. Snake, of course,was lying face down on the floor, away from the group. He had a little too much alcohol intake, but none of the others seemed do notice or care. All the smashers laughed and cheered for their performing friends. _

_Ike couldn't bring the words to speak as he stood around the dancing smashers. This is what friends do. They have fun. All the problems of the world don't matter when your with your friends. They were all such great people. People who weren't afraid to live. People who weren't afraid to die. People who are with you right until the end, even if it means traversing an entire city infested with zombies. _

_Zelda tugged on Ike's shirt and pulled him out of the group. Obediently, he followed, not even realizing he was leaving the party. _

_"Um, where are we going?" he asked. _

_"What?" she replied, deaf by the pounding music. _

_"WHERE ARE WE GOING?" _

_She heard him that time and let go of his suit. Ike stopped walking and waited for a reply, but she continued out the large ball room door. He looked back at his crazy friends before turning back and following her out the door. _

_Even when he closed the large doors behind him, the sound of metal guitar boomed through the walls, muffled of course. He stood in the dark hall and looked down both ways to see which direction his princess went. He heard a childish giggle come from down the hall. He made swift pursuit. _

_"Hey Zelda? Where are you?" he called into the darkness. _

_"Come and find me! I'll be waiting for you!" she replied, followed by some more giggling. _

_Ike didn't know what was going on. He guessed at a few things, but anyone of them could have been the reason why she made him ditch the party. He found himself being swept by her voice, following it at speeds that rivalled that of Fox Mcloud. _

_He turned up the stairs, to the dorm rooms. He ran three steps at a time until he reached the top. Again, he glanced down the two directions in the hall. The sound of a door slamming grabbed his attention. He maneuvered down the dark hallway cautiously. It was eerie now, as the sound of the party was no longer audible. Nothing was audible, except the sound of silence. He stopped in front of the door Zelda disappeared behind, her dorm room. He was a bit nervous at first, but curiosity got the best of him. Ike grasped the knob and opened the door. _

_Slowly, silently, he stepped into the room. None of the lights were on, the only source of light being that of the moon entering through the large balcony window. Ike left the door open for safety as he traversed deeper into the room. Her bed was all neat and in order, the dressers all where they should be. He nearly tripped when he accidentally stepped on her high heeled shoes, the exact ones she wore to the party. _

_"Zelda?" he asked out loud. _

_The door slammed quickly behind him, causing him to jump with a small yelp. He turned around to see Zelda by the door, her fingers locking the mechanism with a sharp click sound. _

_"Oh, did I scare you?" she asked innocently. _

_"Uh, yeah. Why did you lead me up here to your room?" he asked, as if he didn't know the reason already. _

_Zelda walked over to him, shaking her hips ever step slightly. _

_"I was...bored..." she ended up saying. _

_Ike took a step back for every step she took. He could see the seduction in her eyes as she approached him. It was almost scary. Almost as if she was....a zombie. _

_"Y-You were bored?" asked Ike stuttering. _

_He felt a bit of sweat trickle on his forehead. Her reply was a playful smile. _

_"Yeah, that party was fun. But, it got bored really fast. You wanna do something fun?" _

_Ike was afraid to ask what her definition of "Fun" was, but his instincts as a male were giving him hints. He knew where this was leading. The swordsman stopped when he felt his legs halted by the soft bed behind him. Zelda swiftly came up to him and pushed him lightly onto the bed. Ike's back met the soft fabric with no sound at all. Zelda stood above him, arms at her side. _

_"Ike...do you want this to be a night to remember?" she asked seriously. _

_Ike stared at her for a moment before replying. _

_"Of course I do," he replied, trying to keep his voice in order. _

_"Do you promise me you will always treasure this moment we share together?" _

_"I...I will." _

_Zelda smiled. _

_"Okay..." _

_She sat down on the bed beside Ike so that she was facing away from him. She lifted her hair over her head with her hands. Ike quickly sat up. _

_"Unzip me..." she said. _

_Ike's attention quickly turned to the zipper that did up the back of Zelda's dress. He hesitated before making any movement. Ike didn't realize it, but his hands were shaking as he brought them up to touch the warm metal and fabric of her clothes. She waited patiently. Ike grasped the zipper and they both sat there in the position hesitantly. _

_"Are...Are you sure you want to do this? I mean, I don't know if Master Hand would be happy," he said. _

_It was his turn to be serious. She gave a slight nod with her head and replied. _

_"You really care what Master Hand thinks? Ike, I love you. You feel the same about me, don't you?" _

_"Yes...I...I do." _

_Ike hands were still shaking. He couldn't believe he was going to do it. For the first time in his life, he was going to sleep with the one woman he loves. It was almost overwhelming to the blue haired swordsman. After sitting there for what seemed like ages, Ike took the initiative. _

_He brought the white zipper down slowly, savouring the moment the best he could. The small zzzzzzz sound it made was music to his ears. The top half of her back was completely exposed, as well as her bra strap. This was it. He was going to go through with it. In one steady motion, Ike unzipped her all the way. The sight he beheld made his mouth drop. _

_There on the bottom half of her back, sat a large red eye, staring up at him. He couldn't even bring the words to speak as he let go of her and stared at his reflection in the huge pupil. _

_"Is something wrong, Ike?" Zelda asked a bit annoyed. _

_"There's...an eyeball..." was all he could say before Zelda quickly turned around and pushed him back on the bed. _

_She was on top of him, the eyeball glancing around the room spontaneously. Ike watched in horror as Zelda's hands transformed into sharp claws before his eyes. Her face was deformed, the hair on her head falling out and dissolving into the air. Her muscles grew at an immense rate, shredding her dress to pieces. The claws grew longer as they wrapped themselves around Ike's neck. He started choking. Zelda was no longer the princess he knew. She was a monster. Large spikes sprouted from her back, blood bursting from her veins and splattering on the walls and ceiling. And still, the claws were strangling him to death. Ike tried to call for his friends, but nothing came out. _

_He was being murdered. _

_A deep voice and putrid breath escaped the monster's mouth as it mocked the fallen swordsman. _

_"Don't you love me anymore, Ike?" asked the foul beast. _

_He knew for sure, it wasn't Zelda anymore. It was the G-Virus. Ike pulled his hand up to the claws to get them off of him, but they were locked in place. The G-Virus had the advantage. Ike's face was turning a blood red, signalling his last few moments of life. _

_"What...are you...doing...here..." he choked under the monster's strength. _

_The virus laughed. _

_"Just thought I would pay a little visit to your memories. Just to see how your life was like before you met me." _

_The monster flexed it's bloody muscles and broke Ike's neck._

"Ugh!"

Ike fell to the ground as the monster inside him boomed in his mind.

"_You have a very interesting past, boy. Such a happy life, filled with friends and loved ones. Look at you now, weak and broken on the cold stone. It is almost comical_."

Ike brought himself back to his feet and gritted his teeth to ease the pain. The eyeball on his chest was pulsating beneath his shirt.

"Those are private! Get out of my head!" he shouted.

The virus only replied with a laugh.

"_My boy, you amuse me so. That's right, keep resisting. It is only making you weaker. Now, let's se what else you have in store for me_."

Ike fell to his knees again as the virus penetrated one of his more recent memories. The memories of Raccoon City...

_Ike slowly opened his eyes. He tried to move his body but couldn't. He was stuck. He looked to his right to see his hand tied to a metal stake in the ground. His left hand was in the same state. Ike tried with all his strength to break free of his bracing's, but the rope was too tight and the metal poles were too strong. He realized that all his upper armor and clothes were stripped completely off his body._

_"What the hell is going on?" he muttered. _

_A figure in blue walked in front of him. _

_"Ah good, you're awake," said the figure. _

_Ike recognized this voice easily. The man in blue brought his face down to Ike's level so that they could see into each other's pupils. _

_"I was starting to wonder when you were going to wake up," continued to man. _

_Ike looked away from him. _

_"What did you do to me?" he choked. _

_"Oh ho! My boy, we've done nothing to you! Not yet, that is..." _

_Orlow nodded to a monk in black that was behind Ike who was carrying a whip. The monk nodded back and struck Ike's bare back with his weapon. Ike gritted his teeth hard and winced at the sudden pain and the sound of leather meeting skin. _

_"I see what this is. You're going to interrogate me aren't you?" said Ike. _

_"That is the idea," responded Orlow. _

_Ike felt blood run down his back._

_"Please, let it all just go away. I can't do this again..."_

_"Anyways, let's get down to business," he said. Ike spat on the ground as a response. Orlow cleared his throat. "There are a number of intruders skulking about in my tunnels tonight. Tell me, are you in any association with them?" he asked. _

_Ike thought. He couldn't lie. He knew this man in blue knew about Zelda. Of course Ike wasn't alone down here._

_"Yes. I am," Ike replied. _

_"Hmm. I see. That was just a test to make sure you cooperate. I already knew you had something to do with the others. Now, onto the real questions." _

_Ike gulped. _

_"How many of you are there?" asked Orlow. _

_Ike cursed in his mind._

_"God, just kill me now. I can't take this."_

_"Um... 20," answered Ike. Orlow nodded to the monk and Ike was whipped again, this time on the lower back. Ike slammed his eyes shut as he endured the pain. _

_"You're lying! How many of you are there?" repeated Orlow. _

_"16." The monk whipped him again, now adding a third red line to the two previous ones. _

_"Lies! How many of you are there?" _

_"What if I don't tell you?" _

_"We kill you. Either you tell me what I want, or die. You're choice my friend." Ike spat at his words. _

_"Friend? You bastard, you're a waste of my-" Another strike to Ike's bleeding back stopped him in mid-sentence. _

_"Are you going to answer the question or not?" Ike breathed deeply. _

_"I don't know," replied Ike. _

_"I don't believe you." _

_"What more proof do you want!? I DO NOT KNOW how many of us there are!" Even though Ike's answer was true, he was whipped anyway. _

_"Okay, I think you're telling the truth. Now answer this. Who sent you?" asked Orlow. _

_"What?" _

_"Who sent you!?" _

_"Umbrella," replied Ike, "I work for Umbrella." _

_Orlow raised an eyebrow at this._

_"Nice try." _

_Ike was struck two more times in the back. He entire back was almost covered in blood. He almost couldn't take the pain anymore. _

_"If you lie one more time, we will kill you," said Orlow. _

_Ike lowered his head and stared at the ground._

_"I wanna go back to the mansion. Please, take me back..."_

_"Now, who sent you?" repeated Orlow. Ike hesitated for a long time. Orlow waited patiently. "Well?" he edged on. _

_Ike stared at the ground but slowly raised his head and looked up into the eyes of his torturer. _

_"God sent me. He sent me here to dispose of the demons who destroyed this city." _

_Orlow looked into the eyes of the young swordsman and almost felt intimidated. Orlow shook off the heroic statement with a laugh. _

_"This one won't tell us anything. Kill him. And make sure he dies slowly," said Orlow. _

_Ike closed his eyes before he felt the whip come down on his back for the eighth time. The monk raised the weapon again up high and brought it down on the swordsman consecutively. The pain was excruciating. _

_"Stop! Stop it! I can't live this anymore! Take me back!" _

_He was hoping for the G-Virus to hear him, but sadly it did not reply. Ike was trapped in the realm of his own nightmare. Except, this experience was different from the time he had it in Raccoon City. Link and the others would have been here by now to rescue him. But, they weren't there. They weren't coming. Somehow, the virus had altered the memory and changed it into a different kind of reality. A reality where Ike was being beaten alive. Each lashing hurt more than the last. The blood dripping from his back was immeasurable. He was going to die, here, at the cold hands of the Los Illuminados. _

_"TAKE ME BACK!"_

Ike fell to the stone floor, tears flooding from his eyes. He was back in reality. Thankfully, he was safe from those maniacs. The G-Virus was pounding at his head again. He was getting sick of it.

"_I had no idea you had endured torture such as that before. Maybe I'll take it easy on you next time I feel like torturing you_."

Ike couldn't handle it anymore. How he wanted to just throw it all away. It wasn't worth it anymore. In one swift movement, Ike pulled out his handgun and pointed it to the side of his head. His finger was shaking over the trigger.

"_What are you doing, boy?_"

"I will kill myself if I have to!"

Ike wasn't kidding. He wanted to die more than anything right now. Surely there was no greater Hell than the one Ivan had put him in. It just didn't seem worth it anymore.

"_You are really willing to kill yourself just to get rid of me?_"

"If it will ease the pain then yes! I'm sick of this shit! All this pain and torture for what!? A virus!"

Ike pressed the gun so hard that the barrel was almost piercing his skull.

"_Do you really believe that will accomplish anything?_"

Ike sat there on the ground with the weapon. The G-Virus did have a point. Suicide would only be doing what Ivan wants him to do. He remembered the promise he made to Zelda. He was going to save her. He was going to kill Ivan. And he was going to stop the G-Virus. That was his plan, and as been all along. Too bad the G-Virus already knows about it.

"_You should really get moving if you want to save her_."

Ike was getting really pissed at this thing. First it tortures him by invading his memories, then it tells him to "get moving." Ike was considering the handgun again. The virus helped Ike to his feet and he shook his head to return to reality. He had forgotten what he was doing before getting distracted.

He was investigating the garden house. He was standing in a shed, the door he used to enter behind him, the door to the courtyard in front of him. Various types of gardening supplies were lying around, ranging from shovels to fertilizer, to wheel barrels, to crates of pesticides. Yep, this was definitely a garden house. A nearby shelf contained types of pots, cans and an odd looking crank. Barrels sat idly around in the corners of the room.

"I would have been 'moving' sooner if you didn't trespass on my personal stuff," said the swordsman as he went over to examine the gardening tools.

"_Indeed. Well, it gets rather boring in here. My purpose is to bring as much pain to others as I can. Those scientists really should have thought ahead more_."

Ike lifted a shovel a moved it up and down with his hands.

"The G-Virus wasn't an accident was it?"

"_Far from it my boy. Those Umbrella researchers knew what they were doing when they created me_."

Ike held the shovel with his one hand and picked up an axe. He lifted the two in his hands, trying to figure out the heavier one.

"Why did they make you?"

Ike couldn't believe he was actually conversing with the virus inside him. A moment ago he wanted to destroy the thing, but now, they were making conversation as if they wee old high school friends. It was almost as if the virus was controlling his emotions.

"_They wanted to create the ultimate bioweapon. Umbrella was not satisfied with the T-Virus. They needed something more powerful. A virus that could think and feel on it's own. Their result: the G-Virus_."

Ike put down the axe and swung the shovel in the air, attempting to get a feel for it.

"I see. Ivan has ben keeping secrets from me."

"_He has kept a lot of secrets from you, my boy. You should considering he has cameras wired throughout the frame of the mansion, including the courtyard_."

Ike looked up to see a camera staring down at him. He grimaced.

"Well, he can spy on me as long as he wants! I have nothing to hide!" said Ike loudly at the camera.

The shovel was securely gripped in his right hand. Ivan made no reply on the other end.

"You have no idea how much I hate that guy."

"_I am sure I can relate_."

"Hm."

The swordsman took on last glance around the room before making his way to the exit. As he opened the wooden double doors, he realized something. The pain in his chest was gone. The virus has calmed down. Perhaps there was a way for him to control the G-Virus. Maybe he could learn to harness its power and use it as his own. Maybe...

But the odds of it co-operating with him were slim to none. The virus only wants blood shed, because that is what it was made to do. Destroy and consume. Those were two key characteristics that all the virus' possessed. If Ike could somehow learn to use that to his advantage, he may be able to escape this mansion with his friends. Speaking of which, he was wondering how Captain Falcon was doing. He hasn't seen him since the beginning of this nightmare.

"_You thinking about someone?_"

"You know the answer. Old friends."

"_And they are trapped here too_."

"Yes."

"_Don't get your hopes up. If the monsters in this mansion don't kill them, I surely will_."

"We'll see who comes out on top when this is over."

"_You're pretty confident, boy. Almost too confident for someone infected with the G-Virus_."

"I won't die."

Ike walked out into the cold night air. It was still storming. A moss covered wall set the boundary for this area. Various types of plants were all around. The ground was covered in wet moss and stone. Two Cerberus' were patrolling the area, sniffing for any kind of meat. Fortunately, the rain had their senses distorted, and they could not pick up the swordsman's scent.

Ike skulked about quietly along the wall, hoping that these things wouldn't notice him.

"_You are afraid of them? Ad you call yourself a warrior?_"

Ike ignored the virus within him. He didn't want to fight now. And he prayed that the virus wouldn't start to act up again and take over his body. Fortunately, it didn't. Ike made his way over to the stairs, which led up to a metal door.

He let his breath go when he made it to the other side. The dogs did not notice him.

"_You could have fought them_," pestered the virus.

"Well, I didn't feel like it," replied the swordsman.

It really must have been strange for Ivan who was watching the whole thing. Through the camera eye, it looked as though Ike was talking to himself. Seeing that would be rather humorous.

Ike walked through the pouring rain. He could barely see where he was going. He stopped walking when he came up to a pool. A large pool. Water was filled to the max, caused by the rain. Thunder and lightning crackled up above, but Ike took no notice of it.

He wasn't the least bit afraid of been struck by lightning. Stuff like that only happens in cartoon shows. The odds of getting struck here and now was almost impossible. And as a result, Ike ignored it.

He stuck his shovel in the cold water. It was deep. Even when he got down as low as he could, the tool could not reach the bottom. Ike stood up and looked at the length of the pool. He couldn't quite see the end, but wherever the moonlight reflection stopped, that was his next destination. Ike started taking off his armor.

"_You are going to swim across?_"

"I have no choice. If I'm going to get to the end of this area, I have to swim."

His shoulder plating clanked on the ground and he started to remove his chest plate. He didn't realize how cold the rain was. It hit him like icy needles. His head band was wrapped loosely around his neck, his hair falling in front of his face. After taking off the armor, Ike used the rain water to slick his hair back and out of his view. He was ready.

"Alright, let's do this."

Ike jumped in the pool, leaving his shovel and armor behind. He prayed that the gun on his belt was waterproof. He swam gracefully across the pool, the rain making him wince every now and then. It was cold, but it was nothing his bulky muscles couldn't handle.

"This isn't so bad."

"_Unless you count the snakes_."

"What?"

He looked to his right to see a slithering pattern lurking on the surface of the water. There were serpents in the pool.

"Whoa!"

Ike swam for his life across the pool, the small snakes behind him gaining fast.

"_They're poisonous too_."

"You could have told me that before I got in the pool!"

"_You cannot blame me. I know as much as you know about this mansion_."

Ike made it to the end and he climbed up the small ladder. The snakes in the pool turned around when they saw their pray leave. Ike sat on the cold ground, panting heavily.

"Man, that was close."

Suddenly, another snake fell from the trees up above and landed in his lap. It hissed at him angrily. Ike yelled again as he jumped to his feet, dropping the serpent. More snakes started falling from above.

"It's raining snakes!" he shouted to no one in particular.

The swordsman ran through the rain, dodging falling snakes in the process. A small elevator was up ahead, at the end of the path. Ike dashed for his escape route. He stepped aboard the transporter and hit the button. The machine kicked into action as it started bringing him down.

"Whew, that was close."

"_You should be more careful if you value your life_."

"Speak for yourself. You tried to kill me."

"_What are you going to do about it?_"

Ike didn't reply. Instead, he looked out beyond the vegetation. The elevator was moving down the side of a cliff. He stood silently as the plants moved up above him. The rain still did not let up. The rumbling sound of the machine stopped when he reached the bottom.

As he stepped out, he noticed the ground had been paved a grey stone color. There was blood on the ground, regardless of the rain. It was stained bad. Ike explored the new area.

"What happened here? Why is there blood on the ground?" he asked out loud.

The cliff had a large hole in the bottom of it, supposedly a cave entrance. There was a stone ridge which led into the cave. A lone fountain was on the opposite side of the cliff. Ike went over to examine it. The water was not flowing through the system, but something transparent was swimming around in the fountain. Ike couldn't tell what it was. He turned his attention back to the cave.

"That looks suspicious."

"_Shh. Do you hear that?_"

"Here what?"

"_Get down_."

"What? Why?"

"_Just get down!_"

"Not until you tell me-"

A sharp claw slashed across Ike's chest, causing him to fall in the fountain. He cried in pain. The cut was shallow, yet it hurt so much. Ike could hear the G-Virus inside him screaming. Whatever that creature was, it must have struck the eyeball on Ike's chest.

The swordsman leapt out of the fountain just in time to dodge another attack of flying claws. Ike ran towards the cave entrance, distancing him and his new foe. He could barely see the monster through the rain.

The creature was slouched as it approached the warrior through the rain. Ike could see large claws on both of it's hands as it walked, it's body a silhouette. A crack of lightning revealed the creature completely. It had no facial features except for a mouth, lined with claws. It's hands and feet were armed to the max with razors. The monster was green and slimy, suggesting that it had once been a reptile or amphibian before being infected with the virus.

"What is that thing!?" Ike shouted over the thunder.

"_Are you going to fight it or just stand here?_"

The swordsman snapped out of his trance and pulled out his handgun. He fired a clean shot into the monster's head. The creature growled loudly as it impacted the blow. It leaped up into the air, preparing to bring it's claws down on the swordsman. Ike quickly dodged out of the way, firing another bullet in the process. This one missed. Ike felt the pain on the eyeball returning as he keeled forward.

"Argh! What are you doing!?"

"_Let me take over. You will only get us both killed if you continue like this_."

"Leave me alone!"

The creature struck the swordsman across the face with it's claws, causing Ike to fly back and hit his back of the fountain. He wiped the blood from his cheek with his wet hands.

"_I can destroy that creature_."

"I can handle it!"

Ike fired off bullet after bullet into the creature's abdomen. Only a few of the shots actually hit though. Not only was Ike terrible when it came to fire arms, but the rain was making everything blurry. The creature burst at him with intense speeds, striking him again in the chest twice. Ike heard the virus' cries ring through his head. He could barely contain it. The pain was too excruciating.

"_Let me through boy!_"

"Okay!"

Ike let go of his body, allowing the G-Virus to take over. The eyeball on his chest pulsated as blood seeped out of it. The monster jumped back, preparing for a final strike.

Ike's muscles grew at an intense rate. He roared loudly as the color in his eyes changed from clear blue to blood red. He was now one with the G-Virus.

The creature lunged forward, but it's attack was blocked by Ike's huge arm. Ike grabbed the monster's arm with his other hand and snapped it clean off. Blood gushed from the severe wound as the creature howled in pain. Ike still held onto it's other arm with his hand. The G-Virus cackled loudly as it thrust it's fist through the monster's abdomen. The unknown creature breathed it's last as it fell from the G-Virus' grasp and onto the cold stone.

Ike was victorious.

Lightning sparked over the bloody scene.

The red in the swordsman's eyes quickly disappeared and Ike was allowed control of his body again. His hand was still lodged in the chest of the creature. Ike stood in that position as his muscles returned to normal. The dead creature looked at him with dead eyes. Ike's eyes went wide as he realized what he was doing. He dropped the creature onto the wet stone and backed away.

"What...did you do?" he asked out loud.

"_I saved your life. You should be grateful_."

The swordsman looked down at his hand which was covered in blood. Thankfully, the rain was washing it away.

"You....dismembered it."

"_Would you have preferred to be it's substitute?_"

"Ugh..."

"_You need to be more careful. Your body is being used to host the G-Virus. You have to keep your chest safe no matter what the cost_."

"That's not fair at all. If you get attacked, I'm the one who has to take the hits."

"_Then I suggest you take better care of yourself. Stay alert at all times. I am not sure what that thing was. Assume that there are more of them out here_."

Ike wiped the blood off his face with the rain water. He wrapped the head band around the wound on his face. The entire bottom half of his face was covered. If he was wearing a blue trench coat, he would have looked a lot like someone familiar, but he couldn't think about it. All he wanted to do was get out of the rain. It was such depressing weather.

Without thinking, he made his way over to the nearest shelter, the cave in the cliff. He crossed the small stone bridge and entered the dark cavern. A camera was mounted to the ceiling at the entrance. Ike reconsidered it, but he decided to have a little chat with Ivan.

"You mind telling me what the hell that thing was?" asked Ike into the camera.

For some reason, the reply from Ivan came more quickly than the other previous times. It was as if he had been waiting for Ike to talk to him.

"Um, yes. That, uh. That was another one of the BOW's. Code named Hunter for it's agility and honed arsenal of razor claws. One of Umbrella's most promising experiments," replied the Ivan.

His voice was a bit cracked and he made several sniffling sounds in between his sentences. He also sounded very uninterested in discussing about this topic. Ike didn't even take what he had said into consideration.

"Um, are you okay in there?"

There was a brief pause before a reply.

"Urm, yes. Yes, I'm fine. How are you doing?"

This was strange.

"_He seems to have lost it_."

"You don't sound too good."

"Why how thoughtful of you. I've never known you to be so kind to your enemies."

Okay, now he was changing the subject. Where was the laughing? The mocking of Ike's inabilities to fight super fast monsters? Something was definitely up.

"Did something happen in there?" asked Ike, making it seem as though Ivan was inside the camera.

"No!"

"_Foo_l."

"Ivan, what's going on?"

There was the sound of shuffling papers coming from the speaker before a reply.

"Look. Something has gone terribly wrong. I've just received word that something is heading our way."

Ike was shocked by this. As if things couldn't already be any worse.

"What do you mean?"

"Umbrella... I mean... they are sending a soldier here to dispose of the mansion, along with everything inside it."

"Wait, wait, hold on. I thought you were in charge here."

"_Like I said before, he has been keeping secrets from you_."

"Ike you have to listen to me! We are all in danger now! You have to do something!"

"Why me? I don't even have anything to do with this!"

"That's not the point! Mr. X is coming!"

"Mr. X? Who is that?"

"I did some research on William Birkin's past projects. Mr. X is a BOW. Except, he is one with the G-Virus. There is a fully armed bio-soldier on it's way to our position. Mr. X is gong to destroy the mansion."

"Another bio-soldier? How can this be? Aren't you the head of this operation?"

"My...superior...he,um...he has turned traitor."

"And now I got to pay the price."

"_You are already used to that_."

Ivan cleared his throat.

"My only theory on getting out of here is having you kill Mr. X when he gets here. We cannot allow him to live."

"I have more important things to do. Like finding my friends."

"Will you listen to me! This BOW is going to kill everyone in the mansion, including you me and all the others! If he doesn't die, we will! That is why YOU have to destroy him! You are the only one with enough power to stand up to another victim of the G-Virus!"

Ike paused for a moment and thought about this. This plan would work almost perfectly into is favor. He knew how powerful the G-Virus was. He new how strong he was as a fighter. If he and the G-Virus co-operated, he would be able to destroy this Mr. X with no problem. It all depended if Ivan would agree to the terms.

"Alright, Ivan. I will help you. But only on one condition."

Pause.

"You will let me and all my friends go so we can return to our normal lives. And you will never speak of this incident ever again."

"What?! I will not agree to that!"

"Then we all die."

Ivan was playing right into his hands. It was Ike's turn to start pulling the strings. He knew Ivan was too cowardly. He wouldn't risk the chance of allowing a fully grown BOW to enter the mansion without permission. He had no choice.

"Okay...You have my word," said the scientist.

"I'm glad we can finally agree on something. You just let me know when he gets here. In the meantime, I'm going to move on ahead."

Ike walked past the camera and deeper into the cave. Ivan made no audible response as he walked away.

"_You were hoping for something like this to occur_," said the virus in his mind.

"_Yes_," thought Ike in response.

"_But need I remind you, even if you do destroy the BOW and rescue your friends, I a still going to kill them_."

"_I'm aware of that, but I have a plan to get rid of you_."

"_Don't bluff. I already know you don't have one_."

"_On the contrary, I do. I just haven't thought of it yet_."

Ike stopped when he reached the end of the cave. A ladder descended into a dark abyss. This was it. His friends had to be down there. They just had to be. If they weren't, Ivan would have been lying to him the whole time. The mere thought only made Ike want to strangle the poor man where he stood. Ivan would get his. He would pay for all the pain he caused. And if it meant his own death in the process, Ike was willing to go through with it.

"_You have a plan, huh? Interesting. I'm always ready for a good challenge_."

"_Well then, from here on in, it's game on. Unless you're afraid_."

"_Nothing on this planet makes me fearful. I'm willing to play along with this...game...if you are_."

"_Heh. My life up until this point has just been one long game. And I'm still waiting for a Game Over_."

"_Just make sure you don't cheat_."

"_I was about to say the same to you_."

Ike took a deep breath before jumping into the darkness. He didn't even bother to use the ladder.

-

**Author's Note:** Again, I am allowing anonymous reviews for a short period of time. There are a lot of readers and I am encouraging you all to review. Thanks in advance!


	12. Why We Fear The Dark

After Dark: The Mansion Incident

**Author's Note:** Thank you everyone for the reviews. You are really helping me a lot. Although, I am still encouraging all of you to criticize my work. I mean, sure there are spelling errors but that's besides the point. If there is anything that you think should be added or improved on, please just give me a shout. I'll listen to any comments you may have.

Oh, and sorry if last chapter was kind of lengthy. This one has a much more reasonable word count.

-

Chapter 12: Why We Fear The Dark

Falcon stepped into the next room cautiously, shotgun at the ready. Fortunately, no monster sprung out of the darkness like the previous one in the guest room. This room was clean. With a sigh of relief, he holstered his gun and called for his friends.

"Coast if clear guys. Come on in."

Meta Knight and Lucas shuffled into the room nervously, but then started walking more casually when they realized Falcon was right. Not that they didn't rust him, but sometimes how could overlook the smallest of details, where, when you're in an infested mansion, can prove to be fatal.

"This...is a bar?" asked the Star Warrior.

Indeed, they were standing in a bar. Well, it looked like a bar; it had all the key elements in there. For instance, a baby grand piano was sitting off to the side, polished and cleaned to perfection. It seems that not a single zombie had set foot in this room since it's construction. Then again, the door to this room was locked before. Nothing that a trusty Falcon Kick couldn't solve. Falcon went over to the bar and leaned on it casually, as if he was going order a round of shots. The bar itself was rather dirty, in the sense that there was garbage and cigarette butts littered on top of it. Nothing useful at all. Falcon swept his strong arm across the bar and shoved all the garbage onto the floor, revealing a shiny wooden countertop. He leaded his back toward the bar and took a glance around the room.

"This has got to be the best room we've been in since we've been here," he said with a small smile.

Meta Knight made no reply. He was over by a bookshelf near the piano, attempting to find some information on their captors, or perhaps a history on this mansion replica. Unfortunately, the shelf was cluttered with musical scores and sheets; useless.

Lucas took the liberty of sitting on the piano bench. He fingered through the keys on the large instrument. Each note he struck made a beautiful sound. He made sure not to hit and sharps or flats for safety. The last thing he wanted was Falcon to tease him about his playing skills.

It was true, Lucas could play the piano. He was no Beethoven mind you, but he could still play. For three years he's been able to call himself a full-fledged pianist. Of course, he never told any of the smashers this, except Ness. He thought that the others would just laugh at him, especially Falcon.

In Smash Mansion, being a pianist was a typical stereotype which meant that you were a wimp. Piano did seem like a wimpy instrument compared to, oh say, an electric guitar. Hell, even Link's ocarina had more man power than any kind of piano. But there was something about this instrument that struck Lucas' attention. Not that it was big or that it was unpopular, but because of the sound it made. Anyone can agree that a piano has a more beautiful sound to it than any silly old guitar. Piano also took more skill to play as it is required that the player can read treble as well as bass notes.

Looking at it from that perspective, a piano was far from wimpy.

Lucas has always been dedicated to his music ever since the death of his mother. It was his mother in the first place who got him started on it. She started him off as a beginner, slowly teaching him about each and every individual key, starting with everyone's favourite, Middle C. He learned about quarter notes and half notes, and he always wondered why the half rests look like little hats, while the whole rests look like upside down hats. It was all part of the learning. And he enjoyed every moment of it.

But after his mother passed away, the only part of her that Lucas could hold on to was what she taught him when she was alive. It was the very reason why he still practised the piano to this very day. As he swept his fingers over the keys lightly, he couldn't help but think about her. The very thought of her face made him want to cry. But he couldn't do that. Not here. Not in this mansion. He had a lot more things to cry about in this mansion besides the death of his mother. Music was the only way he would find any form of solitude.

Without thinking, Lucas started playing. A music sheet was sitting in front of him, entitled, "The Moonlight Sonata." Sounds good. He followed the beat, each consecutive strike more accurate than the last.

At the sound of the music, Meta Knight and Falcon stopped what they were doing and stared at the blonde boy.

Lucas didn't even notice. His attention was directed at the notes in front of him. He couldn't tear himself away from it. The icy sound of the keys danced in his ears with such grace, and he started smiling, shaking his head every now and then. From Falcon's persecutive, it looked like he was in ecstasy. Strangely enough, he was. Meta Knight wrapped his cape around himself a he walked over to the boy and stood next to him, watching his fingers dance across the keys. Lucas himself looked like a mini Mozart, for as soon as he played through the first few measures, he had the song memorized. He closed his eyes and swayed his head to the beat. The emotion could be seen on his face.

The song was not happy. No, it was far from happy. Anyone who is the least bit familiar with music can tell if a song is happy or sad. It was the main difference between a major and a minor chord. The song was sad, and the writing could be seen across Lucas' face.

But to him, it felt good.

It felt refreshing.

Falcon was about to say something, but Meta Knight gave him a dark glance, making him shut up instantly. Neither of them knew that Lucas was so good at the piano. Hell, they didn't even know that he could play in the first place! But Lucas ignored them both.

For the first time since he's bee in this mansion, he felt happy.

He felt safe.

He could almost picture his mother sitting there next to him, playing along with him. The mere thought was overwhelming. The more he thought about his mother, the more he lost his concentration. One by one, the notes ended up slowing down, losing their beat. Lucas was no longer paying attention to what he was doing. He couldn't stop thinking about his mother. Tears were making its way to his eyes. The sound of a completely bad note made him jump back into reality. The music stopped, and everyone was silent.

Lucas had his head down, tears in his eyes. The Star Warrior beside him put a hand on his back.

"You play very beautifully," said Meta Knight, trying to cheer up the poor boy.

"Could you at least play something more suitable to a bar? That song is so depressing," said Falcon from the counter.

Meta Knight gave him another glare, basically a silent way of saying that he wasn't helping at all. Lucas sniffed the ears away and hugged the Star Warrior.

"I-I'm sorry!" he cried. "I...I just couldn't stop thinking about her!"

"Shh. It's okay. I understand," replied Meta Knight, making sure to keep an eye on Falcon. "You miss your mother."

"Yes..."

Meta Knight really wanted to take Lucas' mind of his loss. All of them actually needed time to relax. This mansion was making them tired to the core.

How late was it anyway? Surely it must have been after midnight. No one could tell because of the rain outside and the fact that nearly every clock they've come across in this mansion was broken. Even the grandfather clock in the dining room ceased to function.

"Do you want to try again?" asked Meta Knight.

Lucas let go of him and looked at his golden eyes through the mask. He rubbed the tears off his cheek sand gave a little nod.

"Okay...I will," he replied.

Lucas turned back to the keys in front of him and started the music from the beginning.

"The Moonlight Sonata." That was a nice name for a song. A perfect pick for the dark atmosphere that was cursed upon them. There was no artist labelled under the title on the sheet like most musical scores. Actually, it was quite strange. Who writes a song and doesn't even bother to leave his/her name anywhere on the sheet? Well whoever this artist was, he sure had a hell of a way to write music. The song was relaxing, yet as Falcon already mentioned, depressing.

Lucas tried hard to keep his mother out of his mind, focusing only on the notes in front of him, not even daring to close his eyes again. Soon enough, the song had ended, each and every note played to perfection. Meta Knight gave an applaud, which was soon followed up by Falcon in respect. Lucas turned away from the baby grand and smiled at his friends. He really did feel safer in this room.

"You did good," said the Star Warrior, looking over at Falcon to see if he would say anything.

"Urm, uh, yeah Lucas. I had no idea you could play the piano at all, um. It was great!" he said.

Falcon came over and patted Lucas on the back, but it felt like a hard smack due to the man's superior strength. Lucas winced at the pain, but knew his intentions were good. A low rumbling sound caused Lucas to give a small yelp as he quickly ducked underneath the bench he was sitting on.

"There's nothing to be afraid of, Lucas," reassured the Star Warrior. "Look."

Lucas cautiously got out from under the bench and looked at the source of the sound. A part of the far wall was rising up into the ceiling, revealing a secret room. The three survivors stood there and stared at the new area they had somehow unlocked.

"What? How?" asked Falcon as he stuttered a bit.

"Hmph."

Meta Knight walked into the dark room, not even bothering to draw his sword. Lucas and Falcon stayed back in the bar room for safety. Meta Knight's figure soon disappeared into the darkness.

"Uh, Meta Knight, are you okay in there?" asked Falcon, as bit afraid.

"I am fine, do not worry. I think I found something," replied the Star Warrior from the darkness."

"Well hurry back!"

"I'm here."

Meta Knight stepped out of the dark room and into the light, completely unharmed.

"What did you find in there?" asked Falcon.

"I found this," replied the Star Warrior as he revealed a small computer disk in his hand. Falcon and Lucas didn't seem at all impressed.

"That's it? Was there anything else in there?"

"No, except for a statue. This was on the floor in front of it. It must have some sort or relevance if it was hidden in that room."

"Well...if you're sure."

"I am."

Suddenly, thunder boomed through the insulation in the walls, causing all three survivors to jump. No doubt, lightning was cackling outside.

"It's really...bad outside..." said Lucas as he moved closer to Meta Knight.

"Don't worry Lucas. You're safe! Just as long as you're near me, everything will be-"

Everything went completely black. Lucas screamed. The trio was completely blinded... either that or they were dead. Meta Knight didn't feel any different. Lucas was still screaming.

"Lucas! Lucas! Calm down! It's just the power! It's been cut!" shouted the Star Warrior over the screaming of the boy.

He grabbed Lucas' arm, making the boy freak out even more as he tried to get away. None of them could see anything, except for Meta Knight's eyes which glowed in the dark.

"Lucas! Look at me!"

Lucas stopped struggling and turned his head to see the golden eyes behind Meta Knight's mask. He wasn't dead, the power was just cut. He almost collapsed to the ground, but the Star Warrior held him up. Falcon held his ground.

"Shh. Everyone just calm down. Let's just be quiet for a moment so we can analyse the situation," he said.

Meta Knight was surprised by his proposal. That was probably the smartest thing Falcon had said all night. He was impressed. The three friends took a deep breath to calm down their nerves. Falcon was the first to speak.

"Okay, what happened?" he asked.

Meta Knight couldn't see him in the darkness, but turned in the direction of his voice.

"The power has been cut. It seems as though the storm outside has done more harm to us than we could have imagined," replied the Star Warrior, holding onto Lucas' shoulder.

"Okay, that makes sense. But we can't roam around the mansion in the dark. It's too dangerous with all the freaks running around. We need to find a way to restore the power."

"And Ivan won't be able to give us any hints."

"Well no shit! We're on our own now genius!" There was silence among the group until Falcon spoke up again. "Is there any way for us to restore the power?"

"Hm. There may be. Most mansions contain a breaker room in case of an occurrence such as this. In that room is where they keep a generator to bring to power back up. We may have a chance if we can locate the generator in this mansion."

"Do you know where it is?"

"More than likely...in the basement."

"Aw hell no!" Falcon turned around to pace across the room, but tripped on the first step over some of the garbage he threw off the bar counter. "Shit!"

"Quit fooling around! We need to find a way to bring the power back online!" shouted Meta Knight.

Falcon brought himself to his feet and did not move from that spot. His eyes were fixed on the Star Warrior's.

"You expect us to go into the basement, where there are zombies and God knows what, in the dark, to find a generator that may or may not be there? That's suicide!"

"It is our only hope if we are ever going to get out of here alive."

"What, by going to our deaths? Yeah, that makes a lot of sense!"

"We have no choice, Falcon!"

"You cannot be serious about this!"

"Listen to me!"

"We'll only end up-"

"Silence!"

Meta Knight pulled out his sword and pointed it up to Falcon's throat. The feel of cold metal on his skin made Falcon freeze on the spot. Lucas cried a little as he saw his reflection in the faint glow of Galaxia's blade.

"You listen to me, Falcon. We are going to get out of here alive. And if you jeopardize our mission because you are too afraid to go through with it, then by all means, you can leave. The door is right over there."

Falcon made no reply, but just stood there, staring at Meta Knight's eyes. For a second, the eyes had turned a crimson colour before returning back to the way they were.

"It is your choice."

Meta Knight sheathed his sword, causing Falcon to relax a little. There was some silence among the group as they listened to the pouring rain outside. Lucas couldn't believe what Meta Knight had just done. He threatened Falcon right there, right before his own innocent eyes. Not like he could see anything anyway, but the feeling was there. It made him feel uncomfortable standing next to the Star Warrior. Lucas felt the handle of the knife he had hidden under his shirt. Meta Knight grabbed Lucas' hand, Galaxia in the other, and headed in the direction of the door. He let go of the blonde boy when they reached the door, and he opened it.

Moonlight shined into the room, temporarily fixing their blind problem. Falcon followed the two out of the room. They were in a moon lit hallway. Actually, it was the same hallway Ike had encountered his first zombie. Several doors, which were locked here before, no longer were thanks to Captain Falcon. The zombie that was killed in this hallway was gone, but the scent still loomed in the carpet beneath their feet. Meta Knight checked the map, using the moonlight from the near window. The basement stairs were beyond the door at the end of the hallway. With a deep breath, he rolled up the map, tucked it away, and signalled for the others to follow him.

He twisted the knob only to find it locked. The problem was quickly resolved with a swing of is sword. Beyond the door was pure blackness. Still, Meta Knight lead the way. Falcon and Lucas followed a few steps behind him cautiously.

The hallway turned around a corner, leading to a descending staircase. The basement was beyond the door at the bottom. At first, Meta Knight was hesitant to go down the steps. He halted at the top, causing Lucas to bump into him in the dark.

"Oh, sorry."

"It's okay. Watch your step. There are stairs here."

"Hey, what's the hold up?" Falcon ignorantly stepped ahead of Lucas and the Star Warrior, not realizing the 12 steps below him.

"Falcon no! The stairs!"

"What? WHOA!" They couldn't see anything, but the sound was all Lucas and Meta Knight needed. Falcon was falling down the stairs. "OOF! AH! URGH! GAH! ARGH! GOD! UGH! DAMMIT!" Falcon shouted something each step that slammed off his side. He hit the metal door at the bottom head first. Lucky for him he was wearing a helmet.

Lucas had his hands covering his mouth.

Meta Knight on the other hand just slapped himself in the face.

"Seriously, how is this guy still alive?" he asked sarcastically.

"Captain Falcon! Are you okay!?" called Lucas into the darkness. Falcon was lying face down at the bottom, though the other two could see it. They didn't see him give a thumbs up either.

"I'm...good..." he said, his voice muffled by the floor.

Meta Knight proceeded down the steps without saying anything. Lucas followed, slowly. Falcon got up and dusted himself off when they reached the bottom.

"Man, that's gonna leave a mark," he said, as if falling down a staircase of that length was no big deal. Had it not been for the helmet, he would have cracked his skull right open.

"You should listen better next time," said the Star Warrior.

"Let's just go. We're already below ground level. The basement should be right through there."

He gestured toward the metal door in front of them. Not like it mattered because they couldn't see anything anyway. Lucas tripped on a heavy metal bar lying on the floor.

"Hey! what is this?" he cried.

"Oh, sorry," replied Falcon as he picked up his shotgun. "I must have dropped it on my way down here."

Lucas got up and dusted himself off.

"Are we ready?" asked Meta Knight impatiently.

"Yes," they both replied at the same time.

"Okay. Be ready for anything. Who knows what lurks beyond that door. You have to be prepa-"

"Oh for God's sake, will you just open it already!?"

Meta Knight wanted to slap Falcon across the face, but felt it wouldn't matter. The warrior took a deep breath as opened the door a crack. He peeked inside the room, his golden eye a speck in the darkness. He couldn't see anything at all. He didn't even know what was in the room. All he could here was the sound of moaning zombies. But without the lights, he had no idea how many there were in there. Definitely more than five.

"There are zombies in there," whispered Meta Knight to his friends.

"Can you get rid of them?" asked Lucas, just as quietly.

"I cannot see them. And I do not know how well their senses function in the dark. We can only assume they can see us with the lights out. And if that is true, our only chance would be to go in together. If we stand in numbers, we should have the advantage. Or..." Meta Knight looked at Lucas through his gold eyes. Lucas looked back at him worriedly. "...Or you could give us some light while me and Falcon deal with the monsters."

"How?"

"You can manipulate fire can you not?"

"Oh! I...forgot."

"Then that's it. That will be the plan. On the count of 3, all three of us will burst into the room. You will set the closest object on fire to give us some light. Falcon and I will get rid of the enemies. If we act quickly enough, we should be able to get them by surprise."

"Okay."

"Sounds like a plan," said Falcon from behind.

"Hm."

Meta Knight turned around to look again through the door, only his vision was blocked by a crimson eyeball and the stench of rotten flesh.

"3!"

Meta Knight kicked the door hard with all his might causing the zombie to fly back against the wall. The trio proceeded with the plan and jumped into the room.

"PK fire!"

Lucas ignited a nearby shelf with some cardboard boxes. One half of the room was now completely illuminated though Lucas wish he hadn't done it. They were standing in a kitchen, zombies moaning throughout the room. There must have been at least ten of them. They were all standing around a counter that contained raw, cut up meat. All the zombies were advancing toward the survivors, the closest one being less than ten feet away.

"Shit! There's too many of them!" shouted Falcon as he unloaded a shell into the brain of the zombie that Meta Knight had pushed.

Meta Knight glanced around the room at all the monsters. Falcon was right, there was too many of them. Falcon only had so many shells on him, and there was no way Meta Knight would be able to take down that many enemies at one time, especially enemies that are resistant to melee attacks. There had to be something useful in the room! Meta Knight took flight above the undead mob.

"Falcon! Lucas! Keep them busy!" he shouted over the moaning.

Falcon blew the head off another approacher.

"He's ditching us! I can't believe it! He's ditching us!" he cried.

"Meta Knight come back!" shouted Lucas who was crouching near the flames.

Another zombie entered the room from the door the trio had used to get in. Their exit was now blocked. Falcon didn't see the zombie lunge at him from the side, as it grabbed his neck and pulled him to the floor.

"Gah! Meta Knight get your ass over here!" he cried as he wrestled with the monster.

The other zombies were approaching quickly. They wouldn't last another minute in this room.

Meta Knight ran to the other side of the room, behind the mob. He noticed this when he first entered the room, and it may have been the only hope they had of surviving this massacre: A red gas tank was sitting near the corner of the room, half full (or half empty depending on how you looked at it). The Star Warrior's eyes glowed a pitch red as he lifted up the tank. He tossed it over his head and into the centre of the mob.

"Lucas! Ignite it!" he hollered over the moaning.

"Lucas! Get this thing offa me!" cried Falcon.

Lucas looked up to see the gas tank on his right, and a struggling Falcon on his left. The zombies were approaching from the right, less than five feet separating him from the monsters. He didn't know what to do as he found himself continuously turning from the tank to the struggling Falcon. He couldn't decide which was more important. It wasn't until Lucas noticed Meta Knight standing behind the zombies, a dark look in his eyes. Lucas gave a nod and stood tall, hands out in front of him.

"PK FIRE!"

The gas tank exploded, destroying the crowd of zombies instantly. The back of the zombie on top of Falcon was also torched by the flames, making it easier for him to throw the body off of him and stomp its face off. The stove on the other side of the room caught fire by the explosion and illuminated the rest of the room.

It was over.

The zombies were all dead.

Roasted bodies lay burnt on the ground, the smell of cooking flesh lingering in the air. Meta Knight came over to Falcon.

"You okay?" he asked as he stepped over a cooked carcass.

Falcon wanted to hit the shorter warrior in the face so badly, but he held back the urge. Instead, he picked up his shotgun and holstered it.

"Yeah, no thanks to you," he replied. "Hey Lucas, how you doing?"

Lucas was lying on the ground, a hand over his face. He looked wounded.

"Are you alright, Lucas?" asked Meta Knight concerned.

Lucas was shivering, tears in his eyes. He refused to take his hand off his face.

"Lucas, what's wrong?" asked Falcon.

He went over and lifted the boy's hand off his face. The burn wound that was revealed made his eyes go wide. Lucas had a large scar just over his left eye. He couldn't protect himself from the explosion.

"Oh my God! Lucas speak to me!"

"I...I'm okay..." he muttered, tears still in his eyes.

Meta Knight stood off to the side in silence. He knew what was coming. Falcon turned around and looked down at the Star Warrior.

"You idiot! Look what you did! That was a stupid move back there!" he shouted.

Meta Knight glared at the racer.

"Had it not been for me, we would all be dead by now! The loss suffered by Lucas is a minor injury compared to our objective!"

"There could have been an easier way! If you stayed back and fought of the zombies with me and Lucas, we could have taken them!"

"You fool! And you accuse me of making a stupid move? Your suggestion is suicide! We all made it out alive, that's all that matters. Let's just move on so we can get the power back."

Meta Knight walked away to explore the rest of the room. Falcon stayed by Lucas for a while and stared at the Star Warrior.

How could he be so careless? Sure, he was Meta Knight, but to hurt the boy and not care about it is just inhumane. Something was wrong with Meta Knight. He never liked showing emotion, but this night, even recently, he has been starting to show signs of stress and anger. Falcon didn't know if that was a good or bad thing. All Meta Knight's attitude did was increase his chances of being the traitor. He may or may not have realized that yet. Either that, or it did not matter to him.

Lucas felt the soft fabric of Falcon's scarf around his neck. He noticed that some of the end was charred off from the explosion.

"Sorry, Captain Falcon, I ruined your scarf," he said quietly.

Sweet kid. Even when he's in pain, he can't help but to care about others. Falcon took the scarf and wrapped it more securely around Lucas' neck.

"Don't worry about it. Just make sure it stays in one piece by the time this over," replied the racer generously.

"Okay..."

Falcon stood tall and glanced around the room. The kitchen was a real mess. A messy countertop lined the wall, complete with burning stove and refrigerator. Falcon was a bit afraid to wonder what was in there. A rectangular counter was in the centre of the room, the raw meat that was once on it, now burned to a crisp. The shelves behind Lucas were crumbled to the ground from the explosion. It seems that everything that used to be in this room was now destroyed. The smashers have left their mark.

Meta Knight reappeared from behind the dark corner and went up to the survivors.

"There is an elevator leading up to the second floor over there, but it is not receiving any power. We need to find the generator," he said.

"Say, thanks for joining us," replied Falcon, ignoring Meta Knight's comment completely.

Meta Knight gave him an evil glare and shoved him.

"Don't start with me, Falcon."

"Oh, I'm not starting anything. I'm trying to finish it!"

Falcon made an aggressive advance towards him, but Meta Knight pulled out his sword, causing the racer to stop in his tracks.

"Please, stop fighting!" cried Lucas from the side.

Falcon and Meta Knight looked to the scarred boy on the side before turning back to each other. Meta Knight sheathed his sword.

"Hmph."

He walked over to the last door in the room and stood by it, waiting for his friends. Falcon glanced at him darkly but then looked at poor Lucas, changing his expression to sympathy.

"I don't want you two to fight. Its' scary enough with all the monsters," said Lucas, a but shyly.

Falcon had a hand outstretched as he walked towards him. Lucas quickly felt for the dagger in case Falcon was up to anything fishy. Falcon stopped with his hand outstretched, signalling for Lucas to grab it. Lucas' mind floated away from the thought of the dagger and he received Falcon's bloody hand in his own.

"I'm sorry, Lucas. I'll...I'll try to control myself next time," said Falcon, giving another glance at Meta Knight.

The Star Warrior and the racer locked eyes for a split second before he turned away.

"Okay. Thank you," replied Lucas as he and Falcon walked over to Meta Knight.

"Are we ready?" asked the Star Warrior.

Falcon and Lucas nodded.

"Good. The generator may lie beyond this door. Let's move."

He grasped the doorknob and opened the door. The three survivors stepped into the dark room.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"We're approaching the drop-off point. Do we have any outstanding orders?"

"No, not that I know. Mr. Wesker clearly stated that his last transmission was his last. We're not supposed to reply."

"Really? Then what do we do after we drop off tall, dark and ugly?"

"I guess we return to base. He only gave us orders to drop off the package outside the mansion. He said that 'Mr. X' would take it from there. Whatever that's supposed to mean... The storm's getting pretty bad. It's not safe to be flying in the middle of a lightning storm."

"What are you afraid of? You think we're going to get struck by lightning? Come on, Jack, that kind of only thing happens in movies and cartoons. Oh look, the mansion is just up ahead."

The black chopper hovered through the storming night sky. A deep thick forest that never seemed to end cluttered the view below. And there in the clearing, sat the mansion. A metal crate was dangling by a cable underneath the chopper.

"Seriously, Tom, this is dangerous. Land the chopper right now."

"We're almost there! I can see the building over there!"

"I don't like it out here..."

Suddenly, a streak of light flashed in the sky.

The chopper burst into flame.

The pilots were killed.

And the package was delivered.

-

**Author's Note:** Review please.


	13. Drop By To Say Hi

After Dark: The Mansion Incident

**Author's Note:** Hello, people! I'm sorry for the delay. I had a very busy week. Between summer school, vacation (Cedar Point in Ohio to be precise), and piano lessons, I just can't seem to find enough time to update my stories. However, I am dedicated to my work and my readers, so I will try to get as many chapters done as I can by the end of summer.

Ha. You didn't think I was dead did you?

I just want to give a special thank you to my reviewers. I know I don't mention you guys a lot, and I feel pretty bad for doing it, so I'll take the opportunity here. I would like to thank SG-Kai, FireE21, Clear Blue, metasaur, MinaDeville, Nike-06, and for their continued support. Also, a special thank you to my newest reviewers, Fan From The Start, wrestlemaniac818, and Haninator. Your thoughts are most appreciated and I'm glad you are enjoying the story. you all! You ROCK!

Also, there is a new poll up on my profile related to my stories, so you can check that out if you'd like.

I'm actually really happy right now because I found out how to hack my PSP. Woohoo! Sorry, it was on my mind. ;)

The following is a review reply to Fan From The Start. His/her review was anonymous, so I will reply to it using this chapter of the story. For those of you who are uninterested, you may proceed to the rest of the chapter.

Fan From The Start,

I am flattered that you are such a fan of my stories and have been for so long. Had I known you were reading, I would have disabled anonymous reviews a long time ago! Anyway, thank you for reading and voicing your comments and views. It really helps me a lot. To answer your questions, Lisa Trevor will NOT be appearing in this story. I mentioned her in one of the earlier chapters, but as for appearances, no. She was considered a 'failed' experiment by Umbrella and she died in 1998. For them to bring her back to life would just be pointless. Just think of Mr. X as her substitute (even though he never was in the mansion in the first place, but that's besides the point). As for HUNK, well I'll be honest, I was considering him when I was developing the plot before I wrote this. True, he is like Solid Snake's counterpart, but sadly, there's no room for him in this story. I wanted to put him in though. You can tell if you compare Clyde Valchev's and HUNK's armour. Both of them are wearing practically the same thing, just different coloured tinted lenses on their masks. In Into the Dark, I introduced Leon, Claire, Ada, the merchant, and Saddler, the main heroes/villain from Resident Evil "Darkside" (excuse the word, I have no other way of saying it. Basically when I say "Darkside" I mean RE 2 and 4). So...I thought it would only be best if I included characters from the "Umbrella side" (RE 1 and 5) into this story. As a result, you will be seeing Chris, Jill and Sheva make an appearance near the end. I already introduced Wesker so no complaints there. Well, thanks for the review. Hopefully, I can hear more from ya. Laters!

-

Chapter 13: Drop By To Say Hi

The sound of dripping sewage water echoed through the narrow corridor. The faint sound of distant moaning lingered through the air. And the three survivors were approaching it all with extreme caution. Falcon was leading the way, lighter out in front of his face. It helped a little, giving a clear view of anything within a five foot radius, however, if a zombie took the opportunity to jump out of the shadows, Falcon would be completely defenseless. As a result, Meta Knight had to shuffle quietly alongside him, Lucas covering the rear. This narrow room was part of the basement, but it didn't look like it. Hell, it didn't even look liked it belonged in this mansion. The flame from the lighter revealed rusted piping leading into the ceiling and through the walls. The sound of dripping water didn't distort the fact that there were zombies down here. Meta Knight was certain, the generator was in this room. The only problem was locating it with as little trouble as possible.

Lucas was unable to use his PK fire at the moment because he needed to recharge his PSI. This made Falcon a key figure if the three were going to survive whatever lurked down here.

Without warning, a Crimson Head pounced from the darkness.

"Holy shit!"

Falcon jumped back from the lunging beast just in time, allowing Meta Knight an open strike.

"Let me," he said calmly as he took Falcon's spot and slashed sideways with Galaxia.

The zombie absorbed the attack and continued it's assault. It swung it's claws violently in the darkness, knocking the Star Warrior off his feet.

"Lucas, hold this!" shouted Falcon as he handed the boy his lighter.

Lucas fumbled with the metal tool in his hand as Meta Knight jumped to his feet and continued his assault. More Crimson Heads revealed themselves in the darkness, causing Lucas to shake uncontrollably. Falcon grabbed the barrel of his shotgun and swung it at the close creatures like a baseball bat. The sound of cracking skulls echoed through the corridor as brains met metal.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Clyde! What is the meaning of this!?"

"Sir, it seems to power has been cut."

"What?! No! This can't happen! I need these monitors up and running! And without power, the subjects won't be able to contain the virus' for long!"

"Ivan, the backup generator is located in the basement of the mansion. Attempting to reach it from here in the darkness would be suicide."

"No no Clyde! You're not listening! If there is no power, there's no way either of us can tell if Mr. X is in the building or not! He could be beyond that door for all we know!"

"...I...didn't think of it like that."

"Of course you didn't. Clyde, I hate to say this--I really do--but you are going to have to go into the mansion to restore the electricity."

"..."

"..."

"Sir, I...I can't. I..."

"I know the risk, Clyde. In the darkness, you are at a complete disadvantage to any of the experiments running loose. However, as your superior, I am ordering you to go in there and find out what the hell is going on. You need to be my eyes until the power is back online."

"Do I mean nothing to you anymore?"

"..."

"..."

"You are a good man. You are also a soldier. In times like this, I need a soldier. Your job is your first priority, and it always will be. Do not fail me."

"..."

"..."

"Yes sir."

With that, Private Clyde Valchev turned and left the room. He had to pull the automatic door open, all at the same time, arming himself with his SMG with retractable flashlight. He gave Ivan one last dull look through the mask before heading for the elevator.

Ivan turned back to his desk, a portable UV lamp clamped to the side for minimal light. He picked up a blue pen and started drawing circles on the clean sheet in front of him. Black monitors on the wall in front of his stared down at him. After each completed circle, a new sweat drop would reveal itself on Ivan's forehead. He drew nine circles in total, all lined up next to each other. He then drew a tenth circle, this one rather large, above the previous nine. In each of the smaller circles, the scientist scribbled a letter: I, i, F, M, b, X, C, G, and T. In the large circle, he drew a heart; it was very poorly drawn of course. He dropped the pen to the side and studied the sheet before him, straining his eyes at what little light he had.

Ivan rubbed his temples in frustration as he stared at the sheet, as if he was unsatisfied with it.

He reached for a nearby red pen which had been carelessly thrown on the desk, and breezed over the page lightly with his hand. Over the C, Ivan drew an X. Over the I, he drew an X. Over the heart, he drew an X. Over the b, he drew an X. Over the T, he drew an X. He drew a triangle over the G and i. The F and M were left blank. He stared at his new results for a few minutes contemplating.

"_Is there really any hope for all of us_?"

Ivan pondered for a few moments before crossing the i out with an X.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"That's that!"

Falcon stomped his boot on the last zombie, ending the struggle. The sound of moaning in the darkness was no more. Meta Knight leaned against the damp wall, sheathing hi sword in the process. He had been scratched by one of the Crimson Heads. Luckily, it wasn't a bite, so he was safe from the effects of the T-Virus, for now. Lucas got to his feet, lighter in hand. He avoided stepping on the severed limb and broken bones on the ground.

"That was close..." he said quietly.

It was barely audible over the sound of dripping water.

"Indeed," replied Meta Knight, grunting a little. "Ugh, those creatures are not to be underestimated."

"You're telling me," said Falcon as he took back the lighter from the boy. "I nearly lost my head in that mess."

The group stood there in silence, attempting to recover what injuries they received. The really didn't anticipate for the zombies' attack to be so organized. It seemed as though when they are in berserk mode, they acquire a new level of thinking. They can strategize the best possible plan on destroying their opponents. Of course, the battle would have ended a lot quicker had Falcon had any shells in his weapon. If only he knew how important ammo conservation was in situations like these. Too bad.

Falcon led the way with his lighter yet again, this time prepared in case of any attack. He wasn't worried about another surprise like before, but then again, you can never be too careful in this mansion. zombies were getting smarter every minute. They have learned to travel in groups to avoid being picked off one at a time. This strategy has proved most difficult to overcome. The virus itself was growing; it could feel, it could think on it's own. And it was multiplying. The last thing they needed was for this virus to spread into one of their systems. They would have no hope of returning back to normal. If the virus escaped the facility, the world would soon meet the unstoppable force of Umbrella. Which means, they only had one option at this point.

"We...need to destroy the mansion," said Falcon all of a sudden.

"What?" replied Meta Knight as he walked up to the racer so that they were side by side.

Lucas remained in the back, dagger close to his heart.

"We need to destroy the mansion," repeated Falcon. "We can't allow the virus to escape. It's too risky."

Meta Knight took a deep breath before replying. It wasn't a calm breath; it was more like one of those breaths you make when you get annoyed by something: a sigh.

"We can't destroy the mansion. Not when there are peoples' lives at stake. It would defeat the purpose of our entire mission if we destroyed the mansion."

Falcon stopped in the darkness, causing the other two to stop as well.

"You don't understand. We NEED to destroy the mansion," said Falcon, a serious tone in his voice.

Meta Knight brushed his statement off.

"You believe it is your right to take charge here?" replied the Star Warrior.

Falcon brought the flame under his face, making him look rather menacing, as if he was about to tell a ghost story.

"We can save our friends. But, our priority is to destroy this building."

"Our priority is to our friends. Or do you only care about yourself?"

Falcon was taking his time with the short swordsman, but he could feel his temper rising again, just as it did in the kitchen.

"I care about everyone!" shouted Falcon as he leaned in towards the Star Warrior.

Meta Knight did not back down.

"You would rather have us all killed then to save who we can!"

"You're not listening! Something inside me is telling me that if we don't destroy this place, we'll all die! It won't matter in the end!"

"And who, dare I ask, is telling you all this?"

"What do you mean by that?"

"Are you receiving secret information that Lucas and I don't know about? Are you carrying a hidden camera beneath that helmet? Are you feeding Umbrella information about our backgrounds and weaknesses?"

"And what's THAT supposed to mean!?" shouted Falcon as he shoved the Star Warrior into the damp wall, holding him in place with his free hand.

Lucas gave out a small squeal.

Meta Knight's gold eyes continued to stare into Falcon's face.

"You could be the traitor."

The Star Warrior kicked Falcon in the arm, causing the racer to back up a few feet. Meta Knight landed on his feet. Falcon's face was in shock; he almost dropped the lighter again.

"Y-You're accusing me of being the traitor?! That's...Are you insane!?" he shouted again.

Meta Knight lowered his head a bit, but kept his gaze upon Falcon's eyes.

"It would explain everything that has happened so far," he said darkly.

Falcon took another step back, as did Lucas.

"What?! What do I have to do with what's been going on in this mansion!?"

"Plenty. How is it that you manage to escape first out of all of us, with little more than a scratch on your body? How is it that didn't even bother to save us when we were within arm's reach? How is it that you have struggled with every monster encounter we've had? How is it that you managed to survive that snake poison over such a long period of time?"

There was some silence among the group, before Falcon spoke up.

"Wait...You mean...I could have died?" he asked, the shocked look still upon his face.

Meta Knight nodded.

"Yes. I never told Lucas this. But in all honesty, you shouldn't have been able to recover from that bite so easily. The wound looked fatal, and for us to make it from the east to the west side in such little time is impossible. It only means one thing: the bite you received from the snake was not meant to be lethal. However, it is the general nature of some snakes to inject their victims with venom in order to slow them down, right to the point of death. That bite did nothing more but knock you unconscious. The snake knew your 'true colors', Falcon. It knew you were working for Umbrella. I have noticed this with every monster we've faced so far. It is true, they will attack any living thing on sight, however, the more intelligent monsters, such as the snake, know their place in this mansion. It never would have turned on Umbrella. Which only proves that the wound you received was not meant to be critical, which means, you have been working for Umbrella the whole time."

More silence. Lucas couldn't believe what Meta Knight was saying. Actually, putting the facts together, it did seem like Falcon was the real traitor. Lucas was aiming at the wrong guy.

"Are you kidding me?" asked Falcon, some humor in his voice.

He started backing up from the group, raising his hands slightly.

"You cannot deny the facts, Falcon. Confess," pressured Meta Knight.

"Confess what? I'm not the traitor!"

"You are! The facts are all there in writing!"

"Lucas! You can't really believe this guy can you?"

Both the fighters turned to Lucas who jumped when they noticed he was still there. The blonde boy twiddled with the charred end of Falcon's scarf before replying.

"I...I don't know. I don't want to think that you are the traitor...But...what Meta Knight says sounds true too."

The Star Warrior glanced at Falcon who had horror in his eyes. Lucas had turned on him too.

"No no! You've got it all wrong! I'm not the traitor! There's no proof!"

"I just told it to you, Falcon. It's over."

"It's not! It hasn't even begun! I AM NOT THE TRAITOR!"

Meta Knight drew his sword.

"Falcon, this has to end here. We cannot allow you to endanger us any longer," said the Star Warrior.

Falcon couldn't believe it. His own friends, the ones who survived Raccoon City with him, had turned against him. He backed up against the piping, lighter clenched in his fist.

"Now hold on a second, Meta Knight. This doesn't have to be like this," said Falcon a bit nervous.

Meta Knight approached him slowly, Galaxia in hand.

"I am sorry, Falcon. It's too dangerous to take anymore chances."

He brought his sword up, preparing to drive it through Falcon's chest. Falcon flinched and slammed his eyes shut.

"No!" he cried.

"Everybody STOP IT!"

Meta Knight and Falcon froze and turned to Lucas. His legs were shaking as he held the sharp dagger in his hands. The tip of the weapon found itself being pointed at Meta Knight. Lucas shivered.

"P-Please! Stop it! Don't fight! Please!"

Meta Knight was surprised. He had not expected Lucas to carry a secret weapon and keep it hidden so well. Falcon was relieved that the dagger wasn't aimed at him. The Star Warrior lowered his weapon, his eyes fixed on Lucas.

"Don't do anything you will regret, Lucas," said the Star Warrior as calmly as he could.

Lucas' eyes were close to tears but, he refused to remove his gaze from Meta Knight. He took a step forward with his weapon, biting his bottom lip lightly.

"You listen to me!" he started. "I don't know if Falcon is the traitor! I don't know if you're the traitor! But killing each other won't help us find our friends! We need to get the power running again!"

Meta Knight sheathed his sword in relief. Lucas only pulled out the dagger to get their attention, not to harm them. The group stood in silence for a few moments before Meta Knight spoke up.

"Understood, Lucas. We will have it your way," he said with a small bow.

Falcon's shoulders dropped as he moved away from the wall. He took a step toward Lucas, but stopped when Lucas changed the angle of the dagger in his direction.

"Um, Lucas, you can put it away now," said Falcon.

Lucas couldn't bring himself to move. He continued to hold the dagger tightly. For the first time this night, he was in control.

"Captain Falcon, you lead the way. We will follow behind," stated the boy.

Falcon glanced at Meta Knight who replied with a nod. Falcon returned the gesture then looked back to Lucas.

"Alright, Lucas. Have it your way."

Falcon turned down the dank corridor, lighter held up high. Lucas nodded his head at Meta Knight, signaling for him to go next. The Star Warrior wrapped himself in his cape and complied. Lucas took one last look at the dead bodies behind him before moving on. The dagger was still clenched in his hands.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"_It's all over. The darkness has won over me. It has won over all of us. Dammit, I should have given Clyde a communicator. Now I'll never know if he found Mr. X or not. I can barely think straight anymore. This mansion is too dangerous. Three powerful factors are coming to kill me. My only escape route is cut off. The experiments have all become insubordinate. And now that the power is out, the odds of them coming under control again is exceedingly low. At least the hostages in the cell are still secure, but it won't matter in a few hours. They'll find me. They'll kill me. And then they will destroy the mansion. Everything I've worked for. Everything I've ever dreamed for. 10 years of dedicated labour, for what? My inevitable death. My experiment has turned on me. My superior has turned on me. Am I really that much of an evil man? All I wanted was justice. Is that so hard to ask? Umbrella can do as they please, but what about my wants? I believe that all evil men should be executed. The world has no need for them. Wesker had it coming. Birkin had it coming. Hell, even Spencer had it coming. But what about me? I'm not like them. I am a scientist. I am a gentleman_."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Well, here it is."

Falcon illuminated the small area of the room with his flame. The generator stood before them, it's sleek metal reflecting the fires into Falcon's eyes. Meta Knight walked up next to him.

"Yes, this is it. And it's off, just as I predicted," he said.

"How do we turn it on?" asked Lucas from behind, the dagger still in his hands.

Falcon waved the lighter around the machine to locate some kind of switch. Unfortunately, he found nothing.

"Good question. How _do_we turn it on?" he asked.

Meta Knight closed his eyes.

"There should be a main power switch or lever somewhere; more than likely on a control panel in the wall," he said professionally.

Falcon looked to the side to see a red switch pointing downward. This was the switch they needed.

"I found it!" exclaimed Falcon as he set the switch in the right position.

The generator soon roared to life as the cylinders started spinning. Soon enough, the lights on the ceiling turned on, illuminating the once dark corridor. Falcon closed the lighter and pocketed it, followed by him dusting his hands together.

"Thank you, thank you," he said, putting his arms up.

Lucas gave a small smile. It was good to see everything in full color again. Meta Knight opened his eyes.

"The power has been restored," he said. "Good job, you two."

"No need to thank me. It's what I do."

"Indeed."

Lucas couldn't help but give a quiet laugh. Meta Knight and Falcon were actually getting along. He felt no need to hold out the dagger any longer, as he hid it inside his shirt. After a pause and intake of new environment, Falcon spoke.

"So...what now?" he asked.

There was another brief pause before Meta Knight replied.

"Our mission still stands. Let's explore the rest of the mansion, and locate our friends."

"Now that's what I like to hear! Alright! Let's go!"

Falcon made a dramatic pose and pointed down the lit corridor they came from.

Suddenly, there was a rumbling in the ground, which almost made the three survivors lose balance. After a few seconds, the shaking stopped and there was silence. The rumbling picked up again, but this time it began and ended abruptly. Almost as if they were the footsteps of someone very heavy. Judging from the sound, there was something heading their way from around the corner.

"What's making the ground shake!?" shouted Falcon over the rumbling.

"I don't know!" replied Lucas who almost fell again.

Meta Knight kept his gaze on the corner. Someone, or something, was coming. Luckily, the power was back on, so anything that thought it could get the jump on them in the dark just lucked out. A lone figure emerged from the corner and faced the three survivors. It stood there quietly, hands at it's side, clenched in fists. Falcon flinched at the sight of it.

"Whoa! Who ordered the Tyrant!?" he asked sarcastically.

"It's not a Tyrant," replied Meta Knight.

He studied the creature at the other end of the damp hall. It stood tall, over ten feet, large metallic hands seemed to be it's primary means of attacking. A black trench coat was wrapped tightly around the creature, revealing hard upper body muscles. The creature's face made it look almost human, pale skin and a bald head revealing the thought that it could be no more than a middle aged man in black. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case.

The creature began stomping towards the survivors down the hall, the heavy footsteps of it's boots echoing off the walls.

"What is that thing!?" shouted Falcon, attempting to maintain his balance.

"Is it a survivor?" asked Lucas.

"No. It is not human. It's another monster created by the virus," replied Meta Knight.

"It's coming this way! What do we do?!" asked Falcon.

"There is no where to run. We must fight. However..."

Meta Knight pulled out his sword and chucked it at the approaching monster. Galaxia collided with the chest of the creature, but it was deflected, dealing no damage at all. It seemed as though this creature was made entirly out of metal on the outside. The sword hit the ground with a clang, the monster walking past it like it was nothing.

"Just as I feared," said the Star Warrior. "There is no hope of us damaging this thing with our weapons."

Mr. X started increasing his pace; he was so close, the survivors could see that he had no pupils in his pearl white eyes.

"What do we do, Meta Knight!?" cried Lucas.

"We must go around it!" replied the Star Warrior as he charged toward the advancing Mr. X.

"Wait for me!" shouted Falcon as he followed his short friend.

Meta Knight revealed his wings and took flight over the head of the ten foot tall monster. He barely dodged being grabbed in mid-air. Falcon stopped running when he realized that it would be impossible for him to get around the monster. Mr. X took up the whole width of the hall; there was no way to get around him.

"Just what I was hoping for!" exclaimed Falcon as he ran up to Mr. X. "Falcon PAWNCH!"

Falcon's trademark flaming fist struck Mr. X clean in the chest. However, the result was not what he had hoped for. Mr. X absorbed the attack and survived it with minimal damage. Falcon stood before him in awe.

"No way..."

Mr. X raised his fists up high, preparing to hammer Falcon down into the dust.

"Get out of the way!" shouted Meta Knight from the other side of the monster.

Falcon reacted just in time by jumping away from the striking monster. Mr. X recovered from the heavy assault and continued walking toward the survivors. Meta Knight made an attempt at halting him by picking up his sword and slashing Mr. X's back, but it did nothing. Galaxia was not powerful enough to crack that armor. Falcon and Lucas were backed up against the generator, Mr. X boxing them in from any hope of an exit.

"What are we going to do, Captain Falcon?" asked Lucas.

Falcon turned down to the scarred boy. Lucas looked up at him, a little spark of hope illuminating his eyes. Falcon felt a tear reach his eye. He wasn't about to let this innocent boy die down here, not at the hands of Umbrella.

"Get out of here!" shouted Falcon as he grabbed Lucas by the collar.

"Wait, what are you doing!?" cried Lucas.

"Just...tell Meta Knight I'm sorry."

With that, Falcon used all his strength to toss the boy over the head of Mr. X. Lucas barely dodged being swiped by the large metal hands. Meta Knight caught him on the other side. Mr. X did not turn around, but kept his focus on Falcon. Lucas made an attempt to get back to Falcon, but Meta Knight held him back.

"Captain Falcon! No!" he cried.

"Get out of here kid!" replied Falcon on the other side of the huge body. "Alright ugly! You wanna piece of me!? Come and get it!"

"Lucas! Let's go! He's giving us a chance!"

Meta Knight pulled Lucas down the hall until they both started running. The sound of smashing stone and metal echoed from the other end of the corridor.

Meta Knight burst through the door into the kitchen, Lucas following closely behind. The two glanced around the room to see if any more monsters were here. Nope, it was clean. The door leading to the first floor had been busted apart. It was impassable.

"Dammit! That thing blocked us of our only exit!" shouted Meta Knight as he ran over and attempted to remove the rubble.

Lucas looked back down the corridor to see Mr. X heading straight for them. Immediately, he slammed the metal door shut and leaned against it.

"Meta Knight, it's coming!" he shouted.

The Star Warrior turned to him. He could see the fear in the young boy's eyes. They were trapped like mice in a cage. Loud banging came from the other side of the door Lucas was blocking. Mr. X was coming through.

"Lucas! The elevator!"

Lucas looked down the other end of the kitchen to see a fence-like door. It was an elevator leading up to the second floor.

"This way!" said Meta Knight as he grabbed Lucas' hand and pulled him to the door.

Mr. X burst through the metal door, shattering it to pieces. He looked at the two fleeing survivors and made pursuit. Meta Knight and Lucas jumped into the elevator and closed the door. They could still see their hunter approaching them through the door.

"Go up! Go up!" cried Lucas. "Hurry!"

Meta Knight slammed his fist on the up arrow that was attached to the control panel. The elevator buzzed before the two felt themselves being lifted up, out of sight and out of reach from Mr. X. The two survivors collapsed to the floor out of exhaustion. After some silence, Lucas spoke up.

"What was that thing?" he asked. Meta Knight paused before replying.

"A soldier. A soldier who's sole purpose is to destroy us. I am almost certain of that. Someone must have sent it here recently, otherwise we would have run into it earlier."

"It...It got Captain Falcon..."

"I know...But there is nothing we can do at the moment. Until we can find a way to destroy that thing, our priority to locate our friends. May...May Falcon's spirit rest in peace."

It was sad. Captain Douglas J. Falcon, the one who had led them to safety in Raccoon City, the one who had kept the group's morality high and alive, was dead. There was no going back. They had to face the truth. The sad truth. Lucas felt a tear in his eye. He replied with a nod before turning around to witness one of the worst horrors he'd come across that night.

The dagger, which he kept ever so securely under his shirt, was gone.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Ivan, I've made it to the foyer. It seems that the power has been brought back online without my doing. Do you want me to report back?"

Static replied to the soldier from the communicator.

"Ivan, are you there? Come in."

More static. Clyde looked up at the camera in the corner of the room and waved to it.

"Hullo! Ivan! Sir! Please come in!"

There was no reply from the speakers or the communicator. For some reason, Ivan was not responding.

"Sir, one of the survivors must have triggered the generator in the basement. There is nothing to worry about. But, I also want to report that a crashed helicopter was discovered in the forest not far from this mansion. Are you aware of that? The pilots were both killed in the crash. Also, they were carrying some form of cargo, a large cage if you may. It seemed to be used to house some sort of large creature, but I don't know much about it. Are you in any association with them? Do you know who sent the chopper? Do you know why the chopper was sent in the first place? Over."

Still no reply. Either Ivan wasn't in the room, or he didn't feel like talking.

Or worse...

Clyde Valchev packed away his equipment and headed for the exit.

The sound of thunder and lightning could not be heard through the window anymore.

It stopped raining.


	14. A Change of Heart

After Dark: The Mansion Incident

**Author's Note:** The following is a review reply to Fan From The Start. His/her review was anonymous, so I will reply to it using this chapter of the story. For those of you who are uninterested, you may proceed to the rest of the chapter.

Fan From The Start,

Thanks for reviewing! I'm glad that you are taking a liking to my OC's, even though there's only a few of them in this story (unlike Into the Dark). I did not know that Lisa Trevor lives in one of the endings to REmake. You said it was the ending where Rebecca dies? Well, I've played through the game four times (twice as Jill, twice as Chris, respectively) and not once have I let Barry or Rebecca die in the end. I always got the good ending. Everyone lives. That's how it is in this story. After the Mansion Incident, Jill, Chris, Rebecca and Barry all lived. So, if what you said was true, I couldn't put Lisa in this story anyway because Rebecca would have to be dead. Thanks for the comment. I never knew that.

Personally, I've grown quite attached to Ivan and Clyde. Don't let it get to your head that they are going to live in the end. Their fates will be determined very soon. Ivan could be seen as the tragic character. It wasn't intentional, but it does work out. His past will be revealed shortly, too.

Now, about your question, Mr. X over Nemesis. To be honest, I never played RE3 (I know I'm terrible!). I know who Nemesis is though. I would rather much base my stories off of the games I've played because I know more about certain characters and about past experiences. Don't get me wrong, I have played through most of RE's main series (0, 1, 2, 4, 5, and CVX) so that gives me a pretty good outlook on all the characters. I saw Nemesis in the movie, Resident Evil Apocalypse, but I thought that movie was too unlike the game. The reason why I chose Mr. X was because he always knew how to give me a scare when I played RE2. Right when you least expect it, he busts through the wall, and then you know you're dead if you try to fight him so you have to run. Then, he follows you again by breaking through more walls! To me, Mr. X is like Nemesis, but 'smaller', in a manner of speaking. So, I hope that answered your question, and I'm glad that you are asking me these because they are really making me think about my story. I encourage others to question or criticize my story or reasons behind characters, setting, etc. So, now that that's all said and done, I give you, Chapter 14.

-

Chapter 14: A Change of Heart

_"Sometimes I wonder if it's all really worth fighting for. I hear this little voice inside my head. And...it tells me to press on. No matter what the dangers may be, or what consequences could occur, it pressures me. I feel that I should keep going, but there's always that second voice. It tells me to just give up, leave everything as it is. I don't know, maybe everyone else will have better lives without me. Do I really matter?" _

_Zelda stared at the swordsman blankly before turning back out to the moon. _

_"Don't be silly, Ike. Of course you matter. You matter to me..." she said. _

_Ike didn't move from his spot. He just continued to stare at the side view of her face. _

_"It...I...You don't understand," he replied. _

_She glanced at him, but did not turn her attention away from the beautiful scenery. _

_"What do you mean?" she asked. _

_"I...can't explain it. My life feels like it's going by so fast right now, I can barely keep up with what's going on in our lives. I never talk to any of the others anymore, only a few. I haven't seen my family for well over a year. I won the tournament, but I don't feel any different. I don't feel happy. I don't feel proud. I feel...empty...As if there is still something missing." _

_She turned to him, a serious look on her face. _

_"You're not missing anything. You just haven't found it yet." _

_Ike pondered this for a moment. In a way, it did make sense. But if it was true, what could he be possibly missing? He had everything a guy could ever wish for; money, fame, and a beautiful girlfriend. It didn't feel like enough. There was something missing. _

_"What should I be looking for?" asked the swordsman. _

_"Well, you could use a haircut." _

_"I'm being serious here." _

_"I am too." _

_He glared at her, but put the expression down when she smiled playfully at him. _

"_I always give you advice when you need it." _

"_I'm just kidding around, Ike. You know that." _

"_Then what should I do?" _

_There was a brief pause here. Ike continued to stare at her, as if the answer he sought was hidden somewhere in her eyes. Finally, she spoke. _

"_Nothing." _

_Ike was surprised at her answer. He has always been known as the type of guy where, if there was a problem, he would be the first one to find a solution, or even attempt to find one. By saying "Nothing," Zelda was implying that he should do something he never thought of doing with his life. And she said it so blunt too, like she didn't seem to care about Ike's question. _

"_What do you mean 'nothing'?" asked Ike curiously. _

"_If there is one thing being the bearer of the Triforce of Wisdom has taught me, it's to let fate take it's course on us. We cannot control our destiny, Ike. If you feel something is missing from your life, then it will reveal itself to you eventually. It's how all things turn out. It is how nature works." _

_Another pause, this one slightly longer as Ike took in all this new information. Leave it to fate? What did she mean by that? Did she mean to just sit back and let God do what He can to help the situation? Ike never considered himself to be a believer in God, but after surviving Raccoon City, hell, he'd believe anything. Leaving everything to fate was like letting God drive you down the rode of life while you sat in the backseat, watching the world go by. It seemed....boring. Ike couldn't even believe it was coming from her. Was this her attitude when Ganon took over Hyrule? Did she just lie back and leave everything to Link? Princesses are supposed to care about their kingdoms and their people. How can she give an answer like that? Did she leave everything to fate in the tournament? Did she leave everything to fate in Raccoon City? Did she know hr fate was decided when she was infected with the T-Virus? Zelda could have known more than Ike realized. With a subtle cough and straightening out his collar, Ike replied. _

_"Do you really believe that our lives are governed by fate? Or controlled by some greater power that we have no control of?" he asked. _

_There was another pause. Zelda was looking out at the moon and stars now. She may not have looked like it, but she was still interested in this conversation. _

_"I don't know, Ike," she said. "Life...is just one great mystery. Not even the smartest person in the world could give you the answer you're looking for. Some believe that life is just a dream, and we are still waiting for someone to wake us up. Some say we are already dead, and once we pass on, there is nothing else. You can believe what you want to believe." _

_Ike froze at this. He never knew there were so many different angles you could use to look at life. In theory, he and Zelda couldn't even exist. No one on earth could. If life was a dream, he could wake up as a different person entirely. There would be no Smash Bros., no Raccoon City, no zombies, no Subspace, no fighting, no fun, no nothing. He could very well be dead. The thought of this made his life seem incomplete again. He wanted to know if there was something better out there for him. Who knows, maybe whatever he's searching for will be revealed to him by fate. _

_"What do you believe, Zelda?" _

_"Me? Hm. I believe that if you go through life and offer a helping hand to everyone you meet, you will be rewarded after death. It makes sense doesn't it?" _

_"Yeah, kind of. Seems like a waste of a life if you ask me." _

_"Figures. You wouldn't even have considered donating that money to Raccoon City had I not told you to." _

_"Hey! That's not fair!" _

_"Hee hee. Life's not fair, Ike." _

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Ike closed his eyes and continued to walk through the damp darkness of the cave.

"I know, Zelda. Life's not fair. If it's one thing that these past few hours have taught me..."

"_Daydreaming again, boy_?"

Ike's eyes shot open and he stopped moving. He had been thinking abut Zelda again. He had let his emotions take control of him, even though a monster could reveal itself any time down here. He nodded his head forward a bit and replied to the virus inside him.

"You already know the answer," he said.

The virus did not reply for a few moments, causing Ike to resume his tour of the Underground. He had been walking through these tunnels for the past twenty minutes. Not once had he come across another zombie or Hunter. It seemed as though these caves were uninhabited. All the more easier for him to explore.

Earlier, while he was down here, the lanterns strung across the ceiling had all gone out for some reason. His guess was that the storm from before had caused a power cut. It managed to come back on though, for some reason. The thought made it pretty sad to think that the power in the mansion was also wired to the power leading all the way down here. Umbrella must have been trying to save a few bucks when they built this place.

Ike knew he was getting closer to his destination. It would only make sense for Ivan to construct a secret lab underneath the mansion. That way, he would have easy access to anything that went on there. And the fact that the cameras did not work when the power cut was a dead give away.

Ivan was close by. Ike could almost picture himself wrapping his strong hands around Ivan's scrawny neck, strangling the light from his eyes. The bastard deserved it. It was no longer a matter of saving his friends. Ike just wanted to kill Ivan. The virus was doing more damage to his mind than he thought.

"_I can sense determination within you_," said the virus.

It was kind of awkward to hear the G-Virus say something so encouraging. Ike decided to humor it.

"Uh, thanks," replied the swordsman as he made his way around some rubble from a collapsed wall. "I really want to get out of here."

"_As do I. Just watch your step_."

Ike could hear the sound of rushing water behind him. It seemed that there was a waterfall running. The entrance to the cave had been closed off.

"Looks like the only way to go now is forward."

"_Or to your end_."

"If you're trying to be funny, you are doing a very poor job."

Ike followed the lit lanterns lining the ceiling through the tunnel. This path must have lead somewhere. The possibilities were endless. For all Ike knew, Ivan could be storing some kind of super weapon down here. Of course, the odds of that were astronomically slim.

This sort of environment was new to the swordsman. Ike has travelled through vast oceans and scorching sands in his life, but never once had he come across something like this. Sure, it was a tunnel crafted entirely out of the stone crevice of a cliff, however, something about this place gave him the creeps. It was as if the walls were emanating some kind of evil essence. There was no doubt, Umbrella put this here for a reason, and Ike intended to figure out why.

He tied his headband around his head to prop up his hair. Zelda was right, he did need a haircut. Physical looks should have been the last thing on his mind, but it was kind of relieving to see where he was going for once.

"_How strange that your hair color is blue_," said the virus all of a sudden.

Ike was surprised by it's comment. It was actually trying to make small talk with him. Well no harm there, right?

"It's not dyed or anything. Blue is my natural color," replied the swordsman as he glanced at the ground to avoid sharp rocks.

"_I know. It is not normal for one's hair to be such a...unique color_."

"You don't like it?"

"_I despise the color blue. I despise it more than I despise red_."

Ike paused at this. For the virus to openly tell him that it 'despised' something, it was telling Ike that the virus had it's own personality. If that was true, then it may seem that the virus itself was an entirely different being; a being that was growing inside of him. Ike wanted to ask more about the reason behind the virus' hate for blue, but he decided to leave it. He didn't want the virus catching on to anything he may be thinking. Ironic how, for something that kills for pleasure, hates the color red.

"Well, I guess you'll have to get used to it," said the swordsman, "because I don't plan on changing it anytime soon."

"_Don't worry. Your hair color will be the last thing on your mind when the G-Virus consumes you_."

"I bet."

Ike didn't want to admit it, not openly or otherwise; he was not afraid of the virus. He was actually quite glad he was infected. Whether that was his thinking or the virus' influence was completely beyond him. But he knew for a fact that, if he had the virus' power, it would be simple to deal with any of the other monsters in the area. It would also make Ivan's death all the more enjoyable.

Strangely, Ike's mission had all of a sudden changed from rescuing Zelda to killing a man whom he had only met less than 24 hours ago. No doubt, this was the virus' doing. The G-Virus' sole purpose to exist is to destroy. And it will use any means necessary to do it's job. Even if it means possessing an innocent swordsman who fights for justice, the virus will not waver between truth and duty.

As Ike turned the corner, he noticed a soldier's body sitting on the ground by the wall. Sadly, he had come across a dead end. The lanterns on the ceiling stopped here, at a dank wall covered in a greenish liquid.

"What a waste of time. There's nothing here," said Ike as he turned around to leave.

The sound of a rough cough made him stop. The soldier was still alive, barely. Ike ran up to him and kneeled down next to him. The poor man was dressed in clad armor. The gas mask was cracked and tossed to the side. He was bleeding in several different spots. Ike waved a hand in front of the man's closed eyes. There was no response.

"_He is alive. I can feel it_."

Suddenly, the soldiers blood red eyes shot open and he grabbed Ike's arm with his glove. Ike flinched at the touch, but realized that this man was in no position to make any kind of aggressive move. The soldier coughed out some blood before speaking.

"Mr...Anderson...muh..." coughed the soldier, trying to speak.

The blood in his mouth was distorting his words. Ike couldn't even identify the man because of the blood stains on his face. Ike leaned in closer.

"What? Ivan? What did he do to you!?" he shouted.

He didn't mean to say it so forcefully, but he needed to get a clear answer from this man.

"...I...Umbrella...betray...us..."

The soldier's eyes rolled into his head, and he breathed his last. Ike felt the grip of the man loosen until the glove fell to the cold ground. Ike sat there by the soldier's side, trying to make something out of his words. It was obvious that this soldier was one of Umbrella's; the badge on his left arm gave it away. But he said that Umbrella 'betrayed' him? And what about Ivan Anderson? Ike noticed the soldier's other hand covering a bloody piece of paper. The swordsman reached for it and examined the sheet.

_Regarding the prisoners_

_Umbrella has reached it's end. After all these years of hard work and research, it has ended. I will inform each and everyone of you that Sir Wesker is dead. The cause of his death is unknown at the moment, but one fact remains true: Uroburos has failed. We cannot go through with the rest of the plan now. The BSAA are on to our motives. It will only be a matter of time before we are all arrested and sentenced to death. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the fine men and women who helped with our cause. However, your time is up. The prisoners are going to all be executed, with or without the aid of the T-Virus. It is too dangerous to carry on with the plan without Wesker. I am sorry for the inconvenience. I also ask that you get rid of our 'new' friend. I advise you not to fret if they found out about the traitor among the group. It is irrelevant now. I would like to ask-_

The rest was illegible, smudged off from the amount of blood clouding the sheet. Ike dropped the page and looked back at the dead soldier.

'New friend'? What was that supposed to mean? Ivan wasn't talking about Ike was he? Or maybe the G-Virus? No. There was one other piece missing in this puzzle. There was a traitor in the Smash Brothers. Ike couldn't believe it. Who could it be? He couldn't really point fingers at anyone. The only person he actually got a chance to learn a lot about was Zelda. Everyone else could very well be considered complete strangers to him. But who would sell their souls to Umbrella? Obviously someone who wanted him dead. Ike couldn't think of anyone who had anything against him.

"_I wouldn't trust any of them_," said the virus inside him.

Ike paused before standing up.

"Who asked you?" replied Ike rudely. "You don't even know any of my friends."

"_On the contrary, I know as much about them as you yourself know. I know those you care about with all your heart. I know those you despise from the very bottom of your heart. When it comes to your personal life, I only know as much as you_."

"Well why don't you butt out."

"_You are in no position to be making threats, boy_."

There was another pause. Ike looked down at the mangled body of the soldier. The wounds on his body were pretty severe. However, it was impossible for this man to rise up as a zombie, for the wounds embedded into his skin were caused by bullets and beating.

"You saw his wounds too, right?" asked Ike all of a sudden.

"_Yes_," replied the virus. "_This man was not killed by one of the creatures in the mansion. He was murdered by his own kind. How lovely_."

"But who could have done this to him? Another solider? There are no blood stains on the ground anywhere except for near him. This man was unarmed when he was killed."

"_Ah, perhaps it was that Ivan character_?"

Ike looked up to the ceiling to see a camera staring down at him and the dead man.

"There's only one way to find out. Hey Ivan! You home?"

Ike waved to the camera, hiding his true feelings for the man behind a fake smile. Ivan made no response. Ike stood there in silence for a few seconds.

"_He's not there_."

"He's always there. Hello!" Ike waved a second time, again, Ivan made no reply. After a brief pause, Ike spoke up again. "He's not there. Where could he be?"

"_Running around the mansion and killing off his soldiers_."

"No, that's not like him. He would rather have someone do the dirty work for him."

"_This man does not have bite wounds on him_."

"I know. Which means, he must have a professional soldier going around and killing people."

"_You don't know anyone who fits that description_."

"No, I don't. But, if we can locate the room Ivan keeps his security monitors, we should be able to find him."

Ike was growing quite accustomed to this virus. Using a word like "we" implies they go together, in other words, work as a team. It was a risky move considering the virus planned to kill him at the end of this whole mess.

"_I shall let you lead the way_," said the virus.

"Alright. But where do we go now? This is a dead end."

"_We passed by a door a few rooms back_."

"Oh."

Ike turned around and left the dead man. He made a quick sign of the cross before leaving the room.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Sir, are you in here?"

Clyde stepped into the dark room with the monitors. Ivan was not sitting in his chair. The solider did a quick scan of the room with his flashlight and realized that he was by himself. He walked up to Ivan's desk to examine it. Papers were scattered all over the place, all of them containing information on the BOW's and prisoners. Some of them were even faxes sent by Excella a few hours ago. Clyde was about to turn around when he noticed a strange drawing on the desk.

A piece of paper was sitting in top of the pile. On the sheet were nine circles drawn across the bottom. Above the nine, there was a larger one. Each of the circles had a character scribbled inside of them, with the exception of the large one which had what looked like a heart inside of it. The heart was crossed out with an X, as well as the other letters in the smaller circles except for an M and an F. Clyde lifted the page closer to his shielded eyes to examine it. Horror struck him across the face.

"Oh God, Ivan. What have you done?"

He dropped the sheet back on the desk. As he was about to turn around again, Clyde saw two large envelopes sitting on Ivan's chair. He shined his flashlight onto the two objects that were side by side. One of them had his named written across it in cursive, the other one said "Ike." Respectively, Clyde lifted the envelope with his name on it and opened it. He shined the flashlight with one hand while holding up the letter with his other. It was Ivan's writing.

_Dear Clyde,_

_The time has finally come. I have met my end. Please forgive me for all the stress I have put on your shoulders during the past years we have worked together. It's really difficult to put my feelings down onto paper, so I only hope that you understand my meaning. _

_I thought it would be best to tell you the truth right now. I have known this all my life, and I never had the heart to tell you. Umbrella murdered your parents. I know it must be very shocking to you, so please don't be mad at me. I just...I know how sad it must be. I'm sorry I took advantage of you too. You are a great, if not, one of the best soldiers in our devision. To tell you that Umbrella ruined your life in the beginning would ruin all hopes of you joining us. Your brother never knew either, yet, he suffered a far worse fate than you. I just hope that you can forgive me from this. Believe me, I have some past issues with Umbrella myself, so you are not alone. I did not betray you. I would never do that. You are too pure a man to hurt. All I ask is your forgiveness. You have been a best friend to me ever since we've worked together. I know that I tell you stories about my life all the time, and I know it can be kind of boring, but I thank you for listening. You don't know how good it feels to talk about problems with someone, especially someone you can trust with all your heart._

_As I look back and reflect on my life, I have but one wish for you to fulfill for me. Set free all the prisoners. They have endured enough. Set free the girl and any of the others who may be still in the mansion. I have the controls for the self-destruct mechanism set in the laboratory. It will be up to you to detonate it when everyone is out of harms way. You have to destroy this mansion, all the BOW's and MR. X along with it. Do not worry about my safety. I can assure you I am fine. Just please, do not let my last wishes be in vain._

_Tell Ike that I am sorry for all the pain I have caused him. I know that I am an evil man. I realized that when Wesker was killed._

_There is a safe underneath my desk. Inside it, you will find a cure for the G-Virus and T-Virus. I want you to leave those there for now. Make sure Mr. X does not get his hands on them, otherwise Ike and the girl will have no hope of turning back to normal. Keep this room guarded from any of the BOW's. Your fellow soldiers and scientists were ordered to be evacuated already. Do not worry about them. All you have to worry about is the destruction of the mansion and the safety of the prisoners and Ike. _

_Alas, my final hour is approaching. I pray that you will never forget me, Clyde. I will always remember you._

_Your friend and honorable co-worker,_

_Ivan Anderson_

Clyde could feel tears in his eyes as he read the last few words of the letter. He held the sheet close to his heart, remembering all the times he and Ivan shared together. He really was his best friend. In fact, Ivan was the only friend Clyde ever had in his life. And now, Ivan was...

Clyde folded the sheet and set it in his belt, the tears quickly disappearing. He had a job to do. Immediately, he looked under the desk to find the safe Ivan had told him about. He did not know the four number combination, howevr, he was never told to open it. Clyde stood up and glanced at the envelope on the chair labelled "Ike." Silently, he turned to leave the room. He had prisoners to rescue.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"_I will take over now_."

"Last time you did, I felt like my body was being split in half. Vertically."

"_You will never defeat those things with your weak weapon_."

Ike looked over at the two Hunters. They were just standing around idly. They weren't trying to hide; they were actually standing in an open area. The lanterns on the ceiling illuminated most of the room. A square elevator was in the centre of the dank room, controls for the machine off to the side. In order to make his way through the rest of the cave, Ike would have to kill the two amphibious creatures before him. Whether or not he was willing to co-operate with the virus was a different issue entirely. The Hunters sniffed the air, as if they were searching for the presence of a lone warrior who wishes to test their prowess.

"Maybe...I could let you fight them..." whispered the swordsman.

"_Oh? Now you are inviting me to use your body_?"

"If it will take care of those creatures then yes."

"_Why the sudden change of heart_?"

"Hm?"

"_Before, you wanted to fight me for control of your body. Now, you are giving it to me like it was a gift_."

"I...I don't know."

"_Perhaps you like the feel of a sudden surge of power_?"

"That...could very well be it."

"_It makes you feel wonderful, while at the same time inflicts more pain than anything in the mansion_."

"..."

"_Very well_."

Ike closed his eyes and let go. He did not fight the virus within him. He let it flow through his body freely. Moving through every inch of him like some kind unknown energy. He felt alive. And he felt the pain in his chest return. The eyeball was moving around excitedly, as if this was the moment the G-Virus had been waiting for the whole time. Ike screamed as the voice pounded at his head.

"_Relax. Relax, boy. It will be over soon_."

There was no doubt, the Hunters had heard his cry and they were heading right over to him. Ike opened his crimson eyes and smirked. He and the virus were now one. His stamina and strength had increased tenfold, and he felt...complete.

"_This will end quickly_!" said the virus as it charged at the oncoming monsters with Ike's body.

What happened next was nothing but a blur of shapes and blood spills. Ike somehow had acquired a make-shift sword in his hand. He swung professionally sideways across the first Hunter's chest with inhuman strength. The Hunter gave out a high pitched cry as it's own blood stained Ike's clothes. The force of the blast was os powerful, the BOW was cut in half on contact. The severed creature soon fell, and it's brother immediately met the same fate. The attack was planned, and it was fast. The two monsters didn't last ten seconds against Ike and the G-Virus. When the head of the Hunter fell to the cold stone, Ike hunched over and breathed heavily. He was smiling like a mad man--in fact, it could have been compared to Ivan's occasional smile earlier that night.

"This feels so good!" he shouted to no one in particular.

The feeling he felt was indescribable. It wasn't ecstasy nor was it the insane rush of adrenaline. He felt as if the one thing he had been searching for his whole life was here, inside his body, circulating through him like blood. He laughed menacingly as he stared down at his fallen enemies. He didn't even wonder where the sword he used came from. It wasn't until he glanced at his right arm that the truth struck him. The virus had turned his arm into a blade; it was the same color as his skin, with of course the exception of Hunter blood on it. Ike stared at his new weapon and gave out another laugh.

"This is insane! Ha ha! It's insane! What did you do to me!? Ha ha ha!"

The eyeball on his chest had broken through his shirt and was looking up at him.

"_Yes, boy. Take it in. Take it all in. This is but a fraction of the power that I possess. When I completely consume your body, you will never b known as weak again. You will become the most powerful warrior on the planet! But you have to co-operate with me_."

Ike's breathing came to a steady pace and his eyes went wide.

"What?" he asked.

"_Only if you promise to never get rid of me, will I grant you immeasurable power. Understand_?"

"I want more."

"_What_?"

"I want more!"

"_Hm hm. In due time, boy. Too much at once will make your body implode. You need to be patient. After we've destroyed this place, and we've killed everyone here, we'll leave. We will go somewhere far away, and we will how the world the unstoppable power that is the G-Virus. Just you and me. Together. Forever_."

"Yes. Forever. No one else matters. Just you. And me. Everyone else must die."

"_They must die_."

"Must die."

"_Together_."

"Together."

Ike felt the virus contract within himself. The crimson soon disappeared from his eyes and were back to their true blue color. His sword arm returned to it's original shape. And he was back in human form.

Ike collapsed to the ground out of exhaustion. Not once in his life had he felt so good. The feeling couldn't even be compared to sex or revenge. It was a feeling that was immeasurable in the human body. Only with the help of such a powerful virus can it be obtained. And it was all his. All his for the keeping. In a way, he should have really been thanking Ivan for injecting him with the virus.

Oh, but he'll get his just desserts soon.

They all will.

For the first time since his conversation with Zelda on the balcony, Ike realized the one thing he had been searching for: the title for the most powerful man alive.

After a pause and some more staring at the dead bodies, Ike made his way down the hallway that made the tunnel. He was getting close to his final destination. It would only be a matter of time. Soon, Ivan would meet the face of his most powerful creation. And he would be killed by it, in the most inhuman way possible. Ike's pace soon turned into a jog as he ran down the dim tunnel.

Not once did he look back at the slain bodies behind him.

Not once did he look up at the lanterns to made sure he was following the right path.

Not once did he try to start another conversation with the G-Virus.

-

**Author's Note:** Review please. :)


	15. Darkness Approaching

After Dark: The Mansion Incident

**Author's Note:** I want to give an extra special thanks to two of my reviewers, Bouncefox and Fan From The Start. The reason why I'm pointing them out is because their reviews are longer than anyone else's. I love it when all of you review. But, it isn't very rewarding when I'm using a lot of my free time to write this story, and I receive three sentences as feedback from most of my reviewers. I don't mean to sound like a prick or a snob, but please, next time you review, could you guys consider making your reviews a little longer? Even if it's just a rant, I don't care. I just find it disappointing that's all. By not submitting a long enough review, you make it seem like you guys are bored with the story. I really hope that's not the case. Anyway, just consider it next time, okay? Thank you.

Oh, just want to let everyone know now that Crazy Hand will not be appearing in this story. This kind of relates to metasaur's review, but yeah, Crazy Hand is not in this story, so keep that in mind.

By the way, I got Resident Evil 3 everyone. Yes, I know that was quick considering I just mentioned I didn't have it last chapter. I have the PS1 version running smoothly on my PSP. Yep, it's possible to play PS1 games on a PSP, and it runs just as good. You were right Fan From The Start, Nemesis is scarier than Mr. X. He's so freakin' fast, and that rocket launcher is no help at all. Just a thought.

Also, (I meant to say this last chapter but I forgot) this story is close to being finished. Yes, shocking isn't it? There really isn't much else for the characters to be doing. The mansion has been explored, save for a few rooms, Ike is close to his destination, and Clyde has been asked to release the Smashers. Anyway, I estimate approximately five or six chapters until the end of this story (excluding this one). Now, that seems like a long way from now, but I promise you, this story will be finished by the beginning of September. That is the goal I am striving for right now. If I'm going to get this thing done by that time, I'll need to update about twice a week from here on in. That most likely won't happen. So, rest assured, if this story is not finished by September, it will be completed by the start of October. Which kind of contradicts what I already said...

-

Chapter 15: Darkness Approaching

The elevator door slid open, and the two survivors stepped out into the new hallway. Meta Knight's golden eyes immediately scanned the area for monsters. The sound of moaning zombies refused to penetrate his ears.

They were alone.

Lucas was holding himself, shivering. He was still thinking about Falcon and his heroic sacrifice.

He remembered back to all the times Falcon saved him back in Raccoon City. Not once did he come close to death, that is, unless Meta Knight had anything to say about it. The three survivors had formed an alliance; it was a strong bond of friendship that could never be broken. And to think they were all complete strangers at the beginning of the year seems like a faint dream.

But now, that alliance was broken. Their bond had been broken, and it wasn't just because of the death of Falcon. Lucas could sense their relationship breaking apart as soon as he set foot in this mansion. Meta Knight even threatened to kill Falcon! Sure, they were going through a lot of stress, but that was no excuse. Meta Knight never put his sword up to Falcon's throat in Raccoon City. Was it the change in environment that got him? Or maybe the fact that all his friends were in danger? Or maybe Falcon just really knows how to push his buttons? It didn't matter now. Lucas and Meta Knight were the only sane people in this building. They didn't even know if Ike was still alive. And the fact that Ivan hadn't spoken to them in a while was starting to make them think they were abandoned...

"This hallway is clear. That drawer has some green herbs on them. You better take them," said Meta Knight coldly a he walked around the corner to investigate.

Lucas stared at the path he disappeared down before turning to the drawer next to him. A potted plant of green was sitting on top of it idly. It looked so lonely, the exact way Lucas had been feeling since Falcon's death. He really was lonely.

Meta Knight was a good warrior, but his people skills really needed to be worked on. Lucas felt safe with him, but there was something about Falcon that made him feel even safer. He actually would have preferred it if Meta Knight was killed instead of Falcon.

But all in all, he couldn't trust either of them.

Now that his dagger was gone, Meta Knight could easily turn on him at ay point. Oddly enough, Lucas had no idea where the dagger was. He remembered having it with him when he was being chased by Mr. X. He had it in the kitchen too, and he never dropped it. It wasn't until he scrambled into the elevator that the weapon had somehow mysteriously disappeared.

That's when it hit him.

Meta Knight had taken the dagger.

It made perfect sense.

As long as Meta Knight possessed all the available weapons, he was in control of the situation. Lucas would have no choice but to listen to him, no matter what. And that would be the Star Warrior's chance to strike on the young boy, right when his back was turned.

Lucas considered running away. It's usually always worked before. However, the elevator was his only exit, and there was no way he was going to go down there with that maniac on the loose. Lucas decided to comply with the Star Warrior and hope for the best.

He pulled the herbs out of the pot and examined them. He knew what these did; knowing how to heal yourself was a necessity in Raccoon City. Almost instinctively, Lucas took off his scarf and put the herbs inside of it. He then wrapped the scarf with the herbs over his forehead in hopes that they would heal his burn wound. He could feel the plants working their magic, but it would take a lot longer than two seconds to heal such a severe wound. After finishing off the knot in the fabric, Lucas turned around to make sure the elevator door was closed.

It was, and it made no sound.

Lucky for him, Mr. X did not know how to use an elevator. He probably wouldn't even be able to fit in one. This thought made Lucas relax a bit, and he began to explore the rest of the small hallway.

Two large double doors were poised right next to the elevator, however, there were no doorknobs on them. Lucas ignored it. He would rather much prefer exploring one room at a time, top to bottom, to make sure there were no secrets. He's pretty sure that if he didn't play the piano in the bar room, there would have been no way for Meta Knight to find that computer disk.

Wait, computer disk? What was that for? It occurred to Lucas that Meta Knight was carrying an item that he didn't know how to use. Where were they going to find a computer in a mansion like this? Whatever the case, that disk must have been important if Umbrella went to so much trouble to hide it.

Lucas moved past the double doors and to the end wall. A painting of the mansion was hanging there; it was very professionally painted. Little Lucas stared up at the magnificent piece of art for a few moments. It reminded him of Smash Mansion and his old friends; the ones that were being held captive.

Life was so much fun after Raccoon City. He was actually proud to say he was happy to be alive. He got along with everyone, and everyone enjoyed his company. It was Smash Mansion where he felt at home.

However, this mansion's case glares in contrast.

In this mansion, Lucas didn't know anyone, except for the few pitiful souls who were cursed to wander around here with him. He didn't feel safe. He didn't feel happy. In fact, he felt pretty much the same way he did in Raccoon City; afraid, helpless and vulnerable. He didn't know it, but it was these very same feelings that have been keeping him alive up until this moment.

Lucas ran back down the hall to follow where Meta Knight had gone. He turned the corner to find the Star Warrior opening a closet door.

"There aren't any enemies in here, Lucas. Do not worry," said Meta Knight as he walked into the storage room.

Lucas hesitated, but followed through.

They were standing in a small boxed room. There was some shelving units attached to the wall. They were as barren as the wooden floor on the ground. The two friends searched about the room for anything useful. Unfortunately, this room was empty, save for a tank of kerosine which Meta Knight used to fill his canteen.

Without saying anything, the Star Warrior left the room.

Lucas was beginning to suspect that Meta Knight was considering him the traitor. He did not make eye contact with him when he left the room. In the quiet silence, Lucas thought about this.

It was earlier that night when Meta Knight had come to Lucas' side in sympathy when he was thinking about his mother in the piano room. Meta Knight who saved Lucas numerous times from the dangers lurking inside this mansion. However, it was also Meta Knight who tried to kill Falcon and steal the dagger. He practically succeeded in both.

Lucas didn't understand the Star Warrior's path of thought. Meta Knight always claimed to know nothing except a little thing called logic. He doesn't allow his emotions to take control of him. He uses common sense and his dexterity to solve the many problems he faces. If that was true, why would he even think to accuse Lucas of being the traitor in the first place? Where was the logic there? Lucas was just a harmless little boy doing his best to not let his guts get ripped out. Why would he side with Umbrella? Why would he betray the Smashers? It all didn't make any sense at all.

On the other hand, Meta Knight would make the perfect traitor. He shows no emotion, making it all the easier for him to kill his own friends and not say anything about it. But then again, there is that third factor, Umbrella. They have nothing to do with the Smash Bros. Everything that has happened that night, from the very moment they were kidnapped from their own home, has made no logical sense at all; at least, from Lucas' perspective.

Lucas exited the room and found Meta Knight facing the door near the end of the hallway. It was the only other room they hadn't checked. The Star Warrior sensed the young boy approach him from behind.

"This is the last door. Hopefully, it doesn't lead to a dead end like the previous ones," he said coldly.

Meta Knight was only speaking fact at the moment. He didn't ask Lucas if he was okay or afraid, he just ignored it; he ignored like he didn't care about Lucas' feelings at all. This wasn't the Meta Knight that had comforted him in the piano room.

"Meta Knight..." said Lucas all of a sudden.

The Star Warrior did not turn to him, but continued staring at the wooden door in front of him.

"What?" he replied rudely.

Judging from the tone of his voice, Lucas could tell he was getting annoyed. But why?

"Uh, Meta Knight, do you think...Do you think that thing could follow us up here?" he asked nervously.

There was a brief pause here before a reply.

"Lucas, if you bring up the death of Falcon one more time, I will leave you," he said harshly.

Lucas was stricken by his words. His eyes went wide as he stared at the back of Meta Knight's cape.

How could he say something like that? He was never like this when Captain Falcon was around. Could his accidental death somehow cause Meta Knight's attitude to change? And if so why? It didn't make sense. All Meta Knight's comment proved was the thought of himself being the traitor. How ignorant of him to not even notice it. Lucas found himself stuttering as he replied to the Star Warrior's back.

"Y-You don't mean that, do you? Meta Knight? You said...You said we were going to get out of here together...You promised..."

Meta Knight turned to him, his eyes a dark crimson color instead of their regular gold. Lucas had seen this before. It wasn't the result of the virus, no, this sort of thing happened to Meta Knight when he let his emotions get the best of him. His anger starts to flare.

"I cannot concentrate," said the Star Warrior as he stared right into Lucas' beady eyes. "If you keep talking, there is no way I'll be able to think of a way out of here. So, if you don't mind...shut your mouth."

With that, the Star Warrior opened the door and went into the next room. He did not look back at the broken hearted boy.

Lucas of course was in shock. Now Meta Knight was threatening him. There was no doubt in his mind anymore.

Meta Knight was the traitor.

Lucas could no longer trust him.

The warrior who had led him through that pitiful wasteland months ago, was now his enemy. It was hard to believe, and even harder to accept. Lucas would have no choice but to kill him, otherwise he would be putting the lives of all his other friends on the line; of course, that was assuming they were still alive.

After a few moments of reflecting, Lucas put up as much courage as he could and went into the room.

This new area was dark; it was a hallway that stretched and turned. Windows on the north wall revealed a cloudy night sky and damp tree branches. Well, at least the rain had stopped. This hall was slanted in a manner that as Lucas walked down it, he could feel himself ascending higher and higher. Several book cases and shelves were on the side and crammed to the max. The majority of them were covered in cob webs and dust. Lucas ignored them as he continued his exploration.

Eventually, he came across a balcony that overlooked an entire library. A steel ladder was attached to the railing, allowing those who it may interest to climb down and venture through the forest of books. Hesitantly, he climbed down and saw Meta Knight who was flipping through the pages of a blue covered book. Lucas had the sudden urge to ask what he was reading about, but quickly discarded the thought. He didn't want him getting mad again. Instead, Lucas decided to keep his distance. He started going in between the book shelves and glancing back and forth, as if he was actually going to check one out. That obviously wasn't the case.

This room was one of the most largest the two had ever been in. It must have covered as much ground as the mansion foyer. The tiling was beautiful in itself as well, giving off a refreshing tone which glared in contrast when compared to the monsters in the mansion.

Meta Knight did not move from his position.

As Lucas was about to shuffle through the last shelf, something shining caught his attention from the corner of his eye. Inside a glass cabinet, across from the shelf he was next to, was a large medallion. A picture of a wolf was engraved on the medal. Lucas pressed his face up against the glass to examine it. Other than that treasure, the cabinet was completely empty. Instinctively, Lucas slid the glass door open and pulled out the heavy object. It really was a beautiful treasure.

Perhaps he could use this to unlock something? Heck why not? If a piano could open up an entire secret room, just imagine the all possibilities this wolf medal could unlock. It was definitely worth the taking.

The object was too large to fit in the boy's pocket, so Lucas had no choice but to hold in both his hands. It wasn't the lightest thing either. With some effort, the blonde boy brought the treasure over to Meta Knight who had just closed his book. He dropped the book on the floor and looked at Lucas and the medal.

"Where did you get that?" he asked seriously.

He looked almost mesmerized by the silver medallion in Lucas' hands. Strangely, Meta Knight's eyes were still red. Lucas hesitated before replying. He did his best not to make the Star Warrior angry again.

"I found it over there. It was behind the book shelf. Do you think we could use it for something?" asked the boy as innocently as he could.

Meta Knight glared at him and then back at the treasure.

"You should know better than to take things like that. It could have been booby trapped...Put it back," replied the Star Warrior.

Lucas was ashamed at his reply. It wasn't the answer he was looking for. He thought for a second before replying.

"No," said Lucas as he pulled the medal close to his chest.

Meta Knight's eyes flared again.

"What?" he asked, almost as if he didn't know the answer.

There was no way Lucas was going to give in, even if it meant making him mad again. He was no longer going to give in to what the traitor demands.

"I want to keep it," said Lucas. "It makes no difference to you so why should it matter?"

Lucas could feel his knees shaking as he attempted to stare down the stronger fighter. He was actually afraid of Meta Knight.

"Lucas, I am being serious. Put it back. Right. Now."

Lucas took a step back away from Meta Knight. Their eyes were still both locked with each other.

"No, Meta Knight. I think it will be helpful later on. I want to keep it," repeated the boy.

Meta Knight took a step towards him, causing him to flinch a little.

"Give it to me, Lucas," said the Star Warrior as he let out his hand.

Lucas shook his head in response, all at the same time retreating to a safer spot on the tile.

"Meta Knight, please, let me keep it."

"You will doom us."

"How? I-I'm not doing anything wrong!"

"Do not test me, Lucas!"

Meta Knight drew his sword and pointed it at the boy on the other side of the room. He started walking towards him. After a few steps, Meta Knight stopped. From Lucas' perspective, he looked frozen, as if he had used his PK Freeze on him accidentally. Lucas followed his eyes to the balcony up above them. He stared in shock.

There by the top of the ladder, staring down at the two survivors, was the giant snake.

"It's the snake! It has returned!" shouted Meta Knight.

Lucas stared up in horror as the snake descended the ladder, all at the same time destroying it and making it inaccessible to anyone who couldn't fly. Lucas backed up to the corner of the tiled room. Meta Knight was in a fighter stance, sword at the ready.

"Lucas! You have to help me fight it!" he said.

The giant cobra hissed wildly as it lashed at the Star Warrior. Meta Knight dodged immediately and countered. He managed a few hits before jumping back to a safe distance.

This battle was going to be difficult without Falcon. The odd truth was the fact that this snake had somehow recovered any of the wounds it had received from the previous battle with the three Smashers. It was smart to lie in hiding before showing itself again for Round 2.

Lucas held the medal close, afraid of the great monster circling the room.

Meta Knight jumped up on top of one of the book cases, only to be knocked off by the monster's ramming attack. The force of the attack caused a chain reaction; the shelves starred falling one by one, like dominos. Luckily, Meta Knight was clear from harm's way and joined by Lucas' side.

"I know you didn't want to fight it when we were with Falcon, but right now, we have no choice! Get rid of that thing and help me!" shouted Meta Knight.

The dark knight's voice echoed through Lucas' head as he stared at that monstrosity of a reptile turn to them.

"I can't fight it!" replied Lucas, backing up into the hard wall.

Meta Knight glanced at him evilly before charging at the giant snake. The monster lashed it's thick tail at the Star Warrior and he dodged each and every attack with grace. Lucas could see it in his eyes though; Meta Knight was getting tired. The weight of the past events have finally started to take their toll on the warrior. Meta Knight slashed and hacked at the thick hide of the snake, but his attacks barely pierced it. The snake lunged at him, fangs wide open, and it succeeded in nicking him in the shoulder. Meta Knight's plating protected him from any venom, but he cursed upon contact. He was sent flying into a pile of books.

Lucas continued to remain frozen on the spot. He wanted to help Meta Knight—he really did—but there was something inside him that was telling him that this battle was a good thing.

The snake followed it's prey into the book pile, causing all the literature pieces to scatter across the room.

Lucas ran around the snake, which was now scrambling on the floor, attempting to sink it's fangs into the Star Warrior's skin. Lucas was so close to it, he could have stabbed it with the dagger if he had it. But something inside him held him back. He did not use his PSI powers to aid his struggling friend. Lucas shuffled along the perimeter of the room until he got close to the far open window. This may have been his only chance to avoid this fight. This could also be his only chance to do in the traitor like he should have earlier that night. Yes, it all falls into place perfectly.

Meta Knight sprang from underneath the pile of books and jabbed his sword into the snake's throat. It hissed in anger as it smacked the Star Warrior out of the air with it's tail, causing him to collide with the wall. His mask fell off his face and onto the floor. Lucas watched idly as the monster wrapped it's huge tail around the Star Warrior, preparing to squeeze every last breath out of him. Meta Knight opened his pearl white eyes, ignoring the fact that his mask—his only identity mind you—was removed and lying beneath the body of the snake.

"Lucas! Help me!" cried Meta Knight.

That was the first time Lucas had ever heard Meta Knight call for help. The sound of it was disturbing, yet all at the same time, completely satisfying. Lucas only continued to stare into the Star Warrior's eyes. The snake was hissing loudly now, Galaxia still wedged in it's jaw. The two survivors locked eyes for quite some time.

Lucas could see the fear in Meta Knight's eyes. It was very uncomfortable considering he was one of the strongest warriors Lucas had ever seen in his life. But the boy didn't let this bother him. All he knew was, his deed was done.

Lucas turned around and jumped out the window, completely ignoring the fact that he was already two stories off the ground.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"_I can feel it now. We are close. The laboratory we seek is but a few more rooms up ahead_."

Ike nodded as the G-Virus' voice echoed through his head. They had been wandering the tunnels for quite some time together. They had developed some kind of bond, similar to that between two lovers or close friends. Ike had all his trust in the G-Virus; he believed that it was the key to killing Ivan, the mansion and Umbrella along with it. Any monster that dared stand up against this pair soon felt the wrath of Ike and his bloody sword. They must have encountered at least ten Hunters total while exploring the Underground. Each and everyone of them met the same fate as the very first one. All of them were reduced to nothing but gory messes on the ground. This was the true power Ike had been seeking the whole time. The power that made even the toughest of warriors quake in their boots. And that power was now his. He was practically a god in his own right. Nothing could stand up against him. His wishes were the way of life in the mansion.

In comparison to his past life, this was heaven.

It was hard to believe that this very same swordsman had trouble dealing with mindless zombies in Raccoon City. Hell, even the zombies in the mansion gave him a hard time. But now, he could split a Crimson Head's body in two with the stroke of a finger. He could severe the body of a Hunter in a manner of a few seconds. If this was the kind of destruction he could bestow upon a Bio-Organic Weapon, just think of the kind of damage he could do to a regular human body. Heh, he was going to have a lot of fun killing Ivan.

"Strange how Ivan hasn't contacted us for a while isn't it?" asked Ike to his travel companion.

"_Yes indeed. He has probably grown tiresome of your efforts. Or maybe he's run away in hiding out of fear?_"

"That is a possibility."

"_Or maybe he wants you to think he's not there. He could be watching us, but not saying anything_."

"And yet again we have another possibility. You are so smart."

"_I will take that as a compliment_."

"You know, it's good to finally have someone sane to talk to. It was getting kind of lonely when I was wandering around in that mansion by myself. Well, I had Ivan, but I never was really in the mood to talk to him. You take my meaning."

"_I do. I understand_."

"I like you. I really do. You really know how the world works. I can actually relate to you."

"_I can well imagine_."

"I mean, we're friends right? I give you my body, you give me your power. That makes us partners right? Equals?"

"_In a manner of speaking_."

"You and I, we go way back. Remember Raccoon City? I know you remember Raccoon City. Those were bad times, man. Those zombies can really do some major damage to your brain. You know what I mean?"

"_I do_."

"Remember that time when the Illumindos captured me and started beating the living shit out of me? Those were not fun times."

"_I do_."

"Or that time we had to fight those Hybrid Tyrants in that ring? Man, Orlow must have been on something. That guy was insane!"

"_I do_."

"OR that time when I got trapped in a mansion because some bonehead thought it would be funny to capture me and my friends so he could do some crazy-ass science experiment on us? I think I got infected with the G-Virus or something like that. I ran into Captain Falcon too. He was a pretty hardcore guy. Really in-your-face kind of guy. Personally, I never really liked him. I guess it was his general attitude toward everyone that made him seem like a prick. Don't you remember that?"

"_Vaguely_."

To make a long story short, Ike was going insane. From the time the virus was an infant, all the way up until this point, his mind was being eaten away slowly by the G-Virus. The virus warned him about this when he started to feel it's effects. Guess he forgot.

"A long time ago, someone told me that our lives are all governed by fate. We have no say in the matter whatsoever. All we can do is drift by like dust in the wind, while some greater form of power calls the shots."

"_That was Zelda who told you that_."

"Really? Zelda? Oh yeah, I remember now."

"_You never forgot in the first place. But you will soon_..."

"What?"

"_What?_"

"What do you believe?"

"_What?_"

"Do you believe fate really controls the way we live?"

There was a dramatic pause here for some reason. The virus actually had to think about this one. Ike stopped walking through the tunnel to wait for a reply. After a few seconds, there was a response.

"_I believe...we are already dead. As far as anyone is concerned, neither you nor I, nor anything else in this world exists. Welcome to Hell_."

"That's what I thought. Nice take by the way."

"_Thank you_."

From the camera's point of view, it looked as thought Ike was talking to himself. How silly that past conversation must have looked. Ike surely was losing his mind. He carried another conversation by himself, the G-Virus humoring him every now and then.

As they continued walking, Ike revealed a lot of personal information about himself; information that the virus already knew about. However, it wanted Ike to continue to believe they were friends, so agreeing with him and humoring him was the only possible route it could take. Ike talked about things such as personal experiences, opinions about people and the law, his love life, and how much he despises Ivan Anderson. The virus followed along with every single word. It wasn't until Ike started talking about his lust for power, that the virus started to get back into the conversation.

"So why is it that I can't carry that sword arm with me all the time?" asked Ike.

"_It is because if you did, you would collapsed from the amount of energy used to generate it. Save your most powerful weapons when you need them the most_."

"Well duh. Sheesh, you sound a lot like someone I know."

"_Let me guess. Meta Knight_."

"Yeah that guy. The guy who doesn't talk and he thinks he's better than anyone else. You know, I suspected him of hitting on my girlfriend that night of the celebration."

"_According to you he neither shows nor has any emotion. That includes love_."

"I know, but it's just a feeling I get. You know what I'm talking about. It's that uncomfortable feeling that tingles in the back of your head whenever your girl socializes with any other guy but you. You get what I mean right?"

"_I cannot relate. But I understand. Love is a cruel gift that stabs you in the back when you least expect it. You should never have faith in love_."

"Well, I could disagree with you there. Love has helped me out tons of times in the past before. It's done me a few favors, too."

"_I insist you don't share it_."

"Aw what's the matter? Did you have a hard love life?"

"_I do not love. I cannot love. I am not like you_."

"Oh yeah. Damn, I always forget that. You mean to tell me you never had someone to love in your past life?"

"_I do not have a past life. You are my life_."

"No someone special to hold on those stormy winter nights? Come on, you can tell me. We're friends after all."

"_Heh. Just listening to your tone of voice makes me want to laugh._"

"Um, I beg your pardon?"

"_You have changed so dramatically over these past few hours, boy. It has become quite entertaining. In the beginning, you wanted to get rid of me. You wanted to fight me. Yet now, here we are, making small conversations like we were old friends. It is rather quite humorous, and ironic for that matter_."

"I wanted to get rid of you? Wow, how stupid was I?"

"_Very ignorant indeed_."

"I had no idea this kind of power exist. You sure proved me wrong."

"_It is in my nature_."

"You know, I'm glad we can spend this time together and talk. It really...It doesn't make me feel so lonely anymore."

"_Likewise_."

Eventually, the pair came across a final door, one that was large, metallic and looked very heavy to move. There were no other paths at here. The tunnel had officially ended. Ike knocked on the door with the back of his knuckle.

"There's something on the other side," said the swordsman as he fan his fingers up and down the cold metal.

"_You have no choice but to go through. Rest assured, I will be by your side_."

"That's what I'm hoping for. Actually, I'll be glad if there is some kind of huge monster beyond this door. It's the perfect excuse for me to use your power again."

"_Your wish may very well come true_."

With a small smirk, Ike gripped the rusted doorknob of the heavy barrier and shoved it open. He stepped into a large empty room. After closing the door behind him, he glanced around. What he saw was quite a sight indeed.

The entire room was covered in what looked like cobwebs; the ceiling, the walls, everything. Even the ground Ike walked upon was covered in the sticky, white substance. Some wooden crates were stacked in corners of the room, all hidden by the blur of white. The door on the other side of the room was blocked off by webbing as well. It seems that dogs and frogs weren't the only things Umbrella was experimenting on.

"Spider webs. Everywhere. That can only mean one thing.." said the swordsman.

He walked cautiously into the centre of the room, darting his eyes from left to right, attempting to locate the culprit behind this messy room.

"_Behind you, boy_."

The swordsman turned around to see a giant spider descending the wall and the door he used to enter. The beast was huge, legs spanning an entire 20 feet in length. It made no sound, however, it gave off a menacing stare from it's beady eyes. The spider jumped down to the ground, causing the room to shake briefly.

Ike was not fazed at all, but continued to stare at it. He wasn't afraid of it, he was just attmpting to intimidate it.

"So, you're the one responsible for all these webs?" asked the swordsman, as if he didn't know the obvious answer already.

The spider responded by revealing sharp fangs. It spewed a green liquid from it's mouth directly at the swordsman. Ike jumped back out of range as the venom it the ground where he was standing. The liquid burned through the webbing on the ground, creating a small hole in the floor.

"_It spits acid. Don't act reckless_."

"Heh. You know what to do."

Ike smiled evilly at the large spider as the eyeball on his chest began to pulsate. The pain that he normally would have received from this transformation was no more. He was willing to accept the virus into his system again. In a flash, his eyes turned to their dark crimson color, and his arm mutated into the sword. He could really feel the blood pumping now.

"This will be over quick!" he shouted as he jumped up in the air.

He came down towards the monster with his outstretched weapon. The spider dodged to the side at incredible speed and tackled him into the wall. Ike hit it hard and regained his balance as the monster remained where it stood, as if it was taunting him.

"_Careful boy. You took a hit there_."

"A minor inconvenience. I'm gonna kill that thing!"

The spider spat more acid at the swordsman, but Ike was quick to react. He jumped back onto the wall. The sticky surface of the webbing allowed him to cling to the wall for a brief period of time. He leaped from his spot and lunged at the monster from above. This was a direct hit as the spider soon felt the diamond edge of the blade puncture it's face. The monster screeched as it backed up in an attempt to retreat.

The virus had a different idea.

Ike's speed had somehow dramatically increased. He managed to appear behind the spider before it could notice him. He slashed left and right with his weapon at the monster's legs, severing them one by one.

"Die! Die! DIE!"

Red blood splashed into his face as the beast was slain. Even when it was dead, Ike continued his gory assault. He shredded the spider to pieces, each and every slash more deadly than the last. The monster was soon reduced to nothing but cut up pieces of meat.

As the adrenaline started to cease, the swordsman backed away and collapsed, his eyes returning to their blue color.

"Wow...That was...It felt...It felt good..." he muttered to no one in particular.

"_Superb effort. That beast never stood a chance against us_."

"That's what it gets for challenging the most powerful warrior in the world."

"_Exactly_."

Ike got to his feet and dusted himself off. This room was now clear, and he was one step closer to reaching his goal. He looked down to see that his arm had not turned back to it's regular form.

"Hey, my arm..."

"_Your power has grown tremendously from that battle. You now have enough stamina to keep that weapon out at all times. Consider it a gift from me to you_."

"Really? Thanks!" Ike swung his weapon at the web-covered door, opening the exit to this room. "This is really going to come in handy."

"_I think it has proven it's worth. Now, shall we continue?_"

"Oh, of course."

Ike opened the door and left the room, the gory mess of spider guts along with it. He found himself in a small stone hallway. He followed the path around the corner until he came to an elevator. Note, this elevator did not have a door, but instead, was just a platform that lifted up to ground level.

"Well, this looks like the end," said Ike all of a sudden.

The virus made no reply.

With one last look at his arm, Ike stepped onto the elevator and turned on the power.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_Final Words_

_To Clyde, or Ike, or to anyone else who finds this; I want it to be known that on this day, August 5, 2008, I am dead. You have either stumbled upon this note by accident or by fate. I want you to know that I was not murdered by Mr. X. I was not killed by Wesker, nor the T-Virus. The cause of my death is my own doing, as you can see, I hold the pistol in my hand. The point of this letter is not to reveal any hidden information about Umbrella. No, with my final words, I plan to enlighten you on the motives behind my intentions._

_It all started in the September of 1998. That was the fateful year when Raccoon City, my hometown, became infested with the T-Virus. I was not informed of this until some time after the Mansion Incident. Incidentally, my wife and daughter were in that city. I arrived at the broken scene too late, because as soon as I got there, the residents were already turned into those undead monsters. I searched high and low for my beloved family, but to no avail. _

_That was when I first met you, Clyde, remember? _

_Anyway, thanks to some of Umbrella's soldiers, I managed to locate my wife, Sabrina. But...it wasn't her. No, she was infected, and she tried to kill me. If only you could understand the pain I felt that day; how it feels to have the one person you love shot to death right in front of your own eyes. She was my life and now, she was dead. There was absolutely nothing I could do. _

_Upon hearing that the city was going to be nuked, I was forced out of there. I never found my daughter, and I never knew if she survived the outbreak or not. In any case, I had to watch helplessly from the side as my home was burned into the black sky. The only thing I remember after that was how I could barely get any sleep that night. _

_It was that very same night in 1998 that I made a promise to myself. I would kill the very man responsible for it all: Albert Wesker. He was supposedly killed during the Mansion Incident, but somehow, using the power of the virus, he survived. As a result, I maintained my position in Umbrella only as a means of getting close to him. I spent 10 years tracking down that man, plotting my revenge every step of the way. _

_It wasn't until after the outbreak in Europe that I came up with a fool-proof plan. Umbrella and Tricell created a secret alliance together, where we would create the ultimate virus, Uroburos. It was all Wesker's influence that developed Uroburos; I had nothing to do with it. _

_Before Uroburos could be completed, a few months ago, there was a second outbreak in Raccoon City. This time, it was caused by those damned Los Illuminados. They managed to steal a sample of the T-Virus when they found out Umbrella stole a sample of Las Plagas (which was used to develop Uroburos). Using both Plagas and Tyrant, the Illuminados started a second outbreak to avenge the death of their former leader, Osmund Saddler. This was a major occurrence that I did not plan on when perfecting my plan to kill Wesker. Wesker gave me strict orders to send in a dispatch team to get rid of the Illumindos for good, as well as send in a spy to try to track their motives. Unfortunately, not one of our soldiers made it back alive, save for the spy, Miss Ada Wong. This was so because the government had launched a nuclear missile at the city, repeating the process that had occurred ten years ago. I managed to get some information out of it all. _

_Ada Wong informed me that there was a specific group of 'strange-looking-people' wandering around in the city at the time. They were clad in armor and costumes, almost looking as if they belonged in some sort of video game or animated movie. I took real interest in these people when I realized they had the power to destroy the T-Virus and Las Plagas without the aid of military. They were like super heroes, honestly. It is also significant to note that every single one of them who went into the city made it out alive. Miss Wong did Umbrella the favor of putting a tracking device on one of their transports, allowing us to locate their hidden organization. _

_Strangely, this cult, known as the Super Smash Brothers, is located in an isolated part of Japan. _

_Why they would travel such a long distance to the US in the first place is beyond me. However, this group was what I had been searching for the whole time. If they had the power to challenge the virus on their own, then surely they could put a stop to Wesker and his evil schemes. Of course, it was the only way. _

_I managed to contact one of the head people behind the Super Smash Brothers thereafter; he was a man who went by the name of Master Hand. I persuaded him into allowing me to 'borrow' his fighters, which I would then bring here to the Umbrella Research Facility in Canada. Fusing their unstoppable might with the the G-Virus would be more than enough to stop Wesker. _

_It's actually the reason why I took a real interest in Ike, because of his natural super human strength. _

_But I couldn't be 100 percent sure, so I had to test it. I had BOW's running throughout the mansion, testing Ike's strength and power, just to make sure he was really the person I was searching for. Nevertheless, he was. I infected him with the G-Virus so that he could put a stop to Wesker in my place. It was the perfect plan. However, I did not count on one small miscalculation. _

_Wesker was already killed by someone else. _

_The mere thought seemed impossible but it was true. Uroburos was dead, Wesker and the Plagas along with it. All the hard research and work I put into my plan, it was all useless now. You would think that I would be happy to hear the death of Wesker. You are mistaken. It was then that I realized that I hurt hundreds of different people, just to gain my revenge. _

_I was acting just like Wesker. _

_Killing and destroying was not going to bring my family back to me. I failed my mission before it even began. The people I harmed would never forgive me for what I did to them. _

_I will do them all a favor just by ending my life here and now. I am sorry Clyde. I am sorry Ike. I didn't mean for any of this to happen. Hopefully, you will find this letter in my quarters, next to my dead body. All I can say to you now is to just get out of the mansion while you still can. Save your friends and your loved ones. Get out of here before Mr. X finishes what I started._

_And if you ever find her, tell my daughter, Riley, that I love her._

-

**Author's Note:** Remember what I said about the reviews, guys. Thanks a million! ;)


	16. The Right Thing

After Dark: The Mansion Incident

**Author's Note:** Thank you everyone for taking the time to put more effort into your reviews. I really feel there is more of a reward with my story that way. Actually, I feel like a damned dog, doing these updates in order to get a treat.

Remember, I said this before, if there is anyone who would like me to put their name in the EXTRAS chapter, please submit a review. This offer only lasts until the last chapter of the story, so time is running out. Better jump on that quick, considering there are like 50 of you all together; no joke, I was just checking the Story Traffic the other day, and I had over 55 visitors on chapter 14. I was like "Holy crap! There are more people reading this than there was with Into the Dark!" But in my honest opinion, Into the Dark was better than this story; I think it was because the merchant was in it.

The following is a review reply to Fan From The Start. His/her review was anonymous, so I will use this chapter to respond. For any of you that are uninterested, you may continue on.

Rest assured, I'm not setting your review length as the standard for everyone else, like I said, I need more motivation. But I do appreciate the time you put into your reviews, even when half of it isn't even about my story. So, you never liked Ada eh? That's real shame because she is one of my favorite female RE characters, next to Jill and Claire respectively. Also, I'm surprised you haven't played the new RE5 (it kicks ass by the way, not as much as RE4 though). Chris, Jill and Wesker look great in that game (especially Jill, she's SO hot! Sorry.) It features a co-op mode where you and a second player can jump into the action, and it's better sometimes when tackling those tough bosses. My sister isn't the best partner though, she always got her head chopped off by the chainsaw guy. I had to always run in there with my Magnum and blow some heads off. But anyway, yeah, I'm glad you are starting to see some of the hidden messages I have lingering throughout the plot (like Meta Knight). I'm going to reveal the significance of it all in the EXTRAS chapter later on. I think I covered just about everything, oh wait, the questions.

1) What is my favorite RE game? That's easy. RE4. Why? Well, it was the most fun, it was scary, it had an original story, and it had the merchant! Actually, I want to say RE0 because that was the game that got me started on the whole series, but once I played RE4, I was hooked. RE4 was the second Resident Evil game I ever played, and it's more fun than any of the other ones (it barely surpasses RE5). RE2 was better than RE1 and 0 (it was even better than REmake in my opinion). So yeah, RE4's my favorite, with RE2 and 0 following closely behind. Heh, funny how Jill and Chris isn't in any one of those games.

2) My main in Brawl? I think it says my best characters on my profile. Well, I usually play as Ike (ironic isn't it?) because his attacks can kill someone with their damage at like 40%. He also uses a sword, and swords are cool, and he has blue hair, which tops Marth's combed girly look. Also, he fights for his friends; can't go wrong with that kind of motto. My other main fighters are Zelda, Lucas, Meta Knight, and Captain Falcon, (wow I just realized they are main characters in this story), but I like to play as DK, Toon Link and ROB too. I usually play Zelda in a team battle because she can attack from far away and has a Final Smash that is easy to kill more than one player at once (and strangely enough, when I play as Zelda and I'm paired with Ike, we are an unstoppable team. Coincidence? I think not!). Lucas has awesome ranged attacks, Meta Knights spams, and Falcon has the Falcon PAWNCH and (what I like to call ) The Falcon KNEE. If you wanna send me your Brawl friend code (if you have one) I'm perfectly cool with that, actually I've been looking for a challenge, so let me know if you wanna have a go. I think that just about answered your question.

Now, Fan From The Start, I have a question for you. How is it that whenever I update, you are always one of the first to send a review? Not that I'm complaining or anything, but I find it weird how you don't have an account yet you beat some of my other reviewers to the submission box. Do you just float around in the archives waiting for an update, or is there some other reason? I'm just curious.

Anyway, here's Chapter 16.

-

Chapter 16: The Right Thing

"Hey there."

"Hello."

"..."

"..."

"How does she look?"

"..."

"..."

"Not too good I'm afraid. I fear that the T-Virus will kill her in another hour. She doesn't have much longer to live."

"I...I see."

"..."

"..."

"What brings you here? You never come down here."

"I've been asked by Mr. Anderson to let your fighters go. There is no use for them anymore."

"What?"

"He told me that there is no point in moving on with the experiment. We have already lost. Mr. X is in the building, and Ike is on his way, too. I have no choice but to comply."

"Where are the other scientists?"

"They were evacuated earlier, along with the troops. You, me and your associates are the only ones left in the lab."

"Why was I not informed of this earlier? Let me speak to Mr. Anderson."

"I...I can't..."

"What? Why not?"

"..."

"..."

"He's dead."

"..."

"..."

"Dead? How?"

"Suicide. That is my guess. His death wasn't a total loss though; he left me with his last wishes. He asked me to set free your associates. You are all free to go."

"I...see..."

"..."

"And what about Zelda?"

"She is going to have to wait for the cure."

"..."

"In the security room, there is a safe under the desk. Inside the safe lies the cure she needs. Unfortunately, Ivan did not supply me with the combination to that safe. Only he knows the code to unlock it."

"Hm. That is a problem."

"I have also received word that Ike is on his way, the G-Virus with him. How any normal person could get through those monsters with little difficulty is beyond me. If you happen to run into him, don't trust him. It could be the virus that's talking for him."

"I understand. I will keep my guard up. Thank you Clyde."

"I'm going to free the others. Do not leave this room unless I say so, got it?"

"Yes."

"Very well. I'll see you in a bit."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A the clear night sky came into view, Ike couldn't help but take a deep breath. The muggy air of the Underground had finally dissipated. He felt refreshed with each intake of air, but not to the extent where he could no longer feel the virus circulating through him. The elevator came to a complete stop and Ike exited the machine. He found himself back in the courtyard, this time in a secluded square area with nothing special about it except for a large water fountain. The cryptic mansion of death was off to the side, Ike having a perfect view of it's west wall.

"Hell, I'm glad I'm out of there," said the swordsman as he approached the fountain.

"_Indeed. It truly is a hassle to deal with such weak foes. I was hoping for more of a challenge, but such is the way of the human race_."

"What?"

"_Nothing_."

Crickets could be heard chirping in the distance. At least there were still some sane creatures skulking around. This sound, along with the clear full moon and stars, reminded Ike of his special night with Zelda; the very same night he was crowned champion. Yes indeed, it was a night similar to this that reminded Ike of the life he used to have; the life before the virus. But that was a long time ago.

Ike could barely remember anything that had happened to him in the past couple of months. The only memory that stood up above the rest was that night on the balcony; the rest, well, it was just blank. He couldn't even recall Raccoon City anymore. Who were the Los Illumindos? Who was Drazn Orlow? What was Las Plagas? It seems that these factors refused to play a role in the great game that went on in the swordsman's head. Who was the boy with the blonde hair in the green skirt? Who was that woman with the long silky hair and that elegant body? Who was that man with the tight boy suit and thick beard? These people--his friends to be precise--seemed like they just didn't belong. He couldn't even remember the torture that had been cursed upon him in that city. It was as if leaving the Underground made him forget everything entirely. Or maybe it was the G-Virus? Nah, it would never do that to him; after all, the G-Virus was his best friend in the whole world. Who doesn't want a fried who promises power that could test the holy strength of God Himself? Who doesn't want a friend who can make you feel unimaginably good in times of darkness?

Not Zelda, no way.

But even though she seemed like a faint shadow on the wall, Zelda still played an important role in his life. Sure she was dying, but the fact that she helped Ike to believe in himself still lingered in the back of his head. Without her, he would have gone no where with his life. Then again, without her, he probably wouldn't be in this mess in the first place. But was this incident at the mansion really a bad thing? Zombies, Dobermans, five-foot-tall-frogs; they all seem insignificant when compared to the unmatched prowess of the G-Virus.

No, if this incident was anything, it was a gift from God. Wasn't it Zelda who convinced him that fate controls their lives? If that was really the truth--and Ike believed it was--then perhaps God wasn't as cruel as He seemed to be. Seriously, what kind of god throws His creations in a Hell such as this? Why God does of course, everyone knows that; it's the perfect reason why he would sacrifice His only Son in front of the world's eyes. Indeed, God works in mysterious ways.

"_You seem puzzled_," started the G-Virus all of a sudden.

Ike was surprised at first; he was staring at his reflection in the fountain. He expected to see his own beat up face looking up at him, but instead, saw the dying scars of a lonely man. He could tell it was his face, but the blood, the scabs, the red lines across hi face, they almost made him look anything but human; which is exactly what this virus was.

"My God...What...What am I?..."

Ike brought his hand to his face and felt the wounds. It was as if he was just realizing the horrible monster he had become.

"Is this...really what I look like? A monster?"

Ike covered his face with his hand, keeping the sword arm at his side. He really had no idea the virus had mutated him this far to the point where he couldn't recognize his own face. His facial features were still there, but there was something about that mask of blood that didn't seem normal.

"_Is something wrong, boy_?"

For the first time that night, Ike didn't hear the virus' voice in his head. That constant knocking that was in his mind ceased to exist. Now, it was just Ike.

"You never said that...I would end up looking like this..." said the shocked swordsman.

"_Looking like what? There is nothing different about you. You look perfectly fine_."

Ike knew it was lying. The outlying feature on his face may not have been noticeable on the outside, but on the inside, it was there; Ike becoming the G-Virus.

"I...I can see myself again. Just like...just like when..."

The virus immediately took over his body and slashed the water with Ike's sword, destroying his reflection once and for all. He blinked a couple of times before realizing what he just did.

"What did you do that for?" asked Ike angrily.

"_Just reminding you that there are two of us in here. There is no need to be getting distracted. Let's move on, shall we_?"

"But..."

"_Shh. There's someone here_..."

Ike shut his mouth instantly. He could hear it too. There was a sound coming from around the fountain, and it wasn't the crickets. No, the sound was more human, more real; someone was crying. Silently, Ike crept around the large fountain, sword at the ready.

"_It doesn't sound hostile_..."

"You don't suppose..."

"_There is a possibility_..."

The sound was close now, almost too close for comfort. Ike crouched down to the side of the fountain, attempting to figure out the source of the cry. After a moments pause, Ike sprung into action.

"Die monster!"

"AHH!"

Lucas screamed as he saw the sword weapon come down towards him. He covered his head in fear.

"Please! Don't!"

Ike froze on the spot, the sword inches from the blonde boy's head. It appears that he and Falcon weren't the only ones cast into this nightmare. But Lucas? How the hell did he get here? More importantly, how the hell did he survive all the freaks running around in the mansion? Nothing that a little questioning wouldn't solve.

Ike stood straight and pulled the sword out of Lucas' sight. The blonde boy continued to crouch on the ground with his hands over his head. He was shivering. After a few moments of idle movement, Ike spoke up.

"Lucas, what are you doing here?" he asked.

The blonde boy paused before looking up. At first he thought he was dreaming, but it was true, Ike was really standing before him.

"Oh Ike!" Lucas wailed as he ran to the swordsman's legs and hugged him. Ike flinched at his warm touch, but relaxed when he realized Lucas meant no harm.

"Oh Ike it's all my fault! I admit it! I did it! I killed Meta Knight!"

"WHAT?!" Ike knelt down and grabbed Lucas with his good arm, making sure to keep the sword arm out of sight. He stared down Lucas right in the eyes. "Meta Knight? He was here? And you..."

"I had no choice! He was the traitor! He was going to kill us all! So I let that snake eat him! And I...I jumped out the window!"

Ike noticed a large bruise on the side of Lucas' head, below the bandage scarf. His PSI powers must have protected him from the fatal fall. Ike put a firmer grip on his shoulder.

"Wait, hold on, you're losing me. What happened?"

Lucas was hyper-ventilating now, his face a mess of tears. He mustered up as much courage as he could and replied.

"I escaped from those soldiers when I had the chance. Captain Falcon and Meta Knight...they found me in the mansion. We fought past the monsters...but we found out something. Something terrible..."

"What? What did you find out?"

"There is a traitor in the Smash Bros."

"What?"

"I couldn't believe it either...but it's true. And Mate Knight was it."

"He was? That can't be."

"It is! And I killed him! I did a good thing! But...I feel so horrible!"

"What happened to Falcon?"

"Captain Falcon..."

Lucas was interrupted by the sound of a crash; as wall collapse to be exact. Ike and Lucas turned to the source, the mansion west wall. A large humanoid had cracked as large hole in the side of the structure, it's face in a serious frown.

"What in God's name..."

"Ike! That thing! That thing got Captain Falcon! It killed him!"

"No way...This couldn't be...the bio-soldier Ivan had warned me about?"

Mr. X cracked his knuckles before he started stomping toward the two survivors.

"I-It's coming this way! What do we do?!" cried Lucas.

Ike hesitated as he stared at the large monster heading right at him.

"_Hm. It seems that soldier is infected with the G-Virus as well_."

"Lucas, go hide! I'll deal with this guy!" said Ike as he revealed his sword.

Lucas refused to leave the swordsman's side.

"No Ike! He'll kill you too! He's too powerful!"

"Nothing is more powerful than the G-Virus!"

Ike ran at his new foe with his weapon. Lucas remained by the fountains side, afraid to watch, yet all the same afraid to look away. Mr. X stood strong and braced himself for the attack.

"Take this!" shouted Ike as he ran up to the monster and slashed horizontally across his chest. Mr. X slid back a few inches from the blow. Ike jumped back with confidence.

"No one can defeat me!"

Unfortunately, he was wrong. For that attack, as powerful as it was against the Hunters, proved to be rather ineffective against Mr. X. All it did was create a large gash in his black trench coat. Ike stared in horror.

"What? I didn't do any damage?"

"Ike watch out!"

Ike was caught off guard as the Mr. X charged at him, ramming him with his forearm. Ike was thrown back 20 feet into the air, coming to a stop as he landed in the fountain. Lucas turned to his submerged friend in hopes that he would recover, but Ike did not emerge. He screamed when he saw Mr. X look at him. The bio solider started walking toward the blonde boy. Lucas, being the general coward he was, turned and ran. He ran to the other side of the fountain before Mr. X could reach the edge of it. Lucas crouched down behind the stone, praying for his own safety all at the same time.

"Ike! You have to get up!" he cried.

There was no response from underneath the fountain water. Lucas poked his head over the edge to see Mr. X on the other side. He seemed to be scanning the water, attempting to locate Ike. Lucas brought his head back down in fear. He noticed a large gold medal embedded in the stone of the fountain. An eagle was incrusted on the medallion. The object seemed awfully familiar to the blonde boy. The inscription underneath the medal read: "_When the eagle and wolf come together, the true path will reveal itself_."

At first, the message seemed irrelevant to the current situation, until something inside Lucas' head clicked. The wolf medal. It was on the other side of the fountain by the mansion where he had fallen. Lucas poked his head up again and spotted the shining silver treasure behind Mr. X. However, attempting to get it right now would be suicide. Mr. X started walking around the fountain, this time, targeting the PSI boy. Lucas squealed again, making sure to keep as far away from the maniac as possible. He made sure to stay on the opposite side of the fountain, far from Mr. X.

Suddenly, a body started to emerge from the water. It was Ike, and he was emitting some kind of strange, red Aura. His eyes were painted crimson, and Lucas could have sworn he saw a pulsating red eye on his chest. The swordsman laughed.

"Finally! A challenge! Come on you freak! I'm ready for you!"

Ike leaped out of the pool with his blade and came down at Mr. X. The bio-soldier anticipated this and blocked with his arm, jabbing Ike in the stomach with his other. Ike absorbed the damage and continued his assault, pushing the bio-soldier far away from the fountain. It was the perfect opportunity for Lucas. The blonde boy ran to the other side of the fountain again, this time, retrieving the medal from the library. He ran up to the side of the fountain to find a place for the wolf medal to go, across from the eagle medal. He inserted the heavy object with a grunt, and a secret mechanism clicked. The water that as in the fountain started to drain.

"Hey Ike! I figured it out! I found an exit!" shouted Lucas to his fighting friend.

Ike was not paying attention to his words at all. If he was distracted, his life could have ended as quick as a flash.

"_This battle cannot be won boy. This creature matches you in both strength and speed. We have a stale mate_."

"I won't give in! Not to this thing!"

Ike slashed again, this time, Mr. X caught the attack with his metallic hand. He then grabbed Ike's face dead on with his free hand, in turn lifting him up above the ground. It looked as if Ike was being strangled, except it was his face that was being crushed instead of his neck. Ike was defenseless. Mr. X was just too strong. He was going to suffocate him.

"PK Freeze!"

Ike fell from the grasp of the solider, gasping for air. He looked up to see Mr. X frozen in a block of ice.

"What?" he gasped. "How?"

"Ike this way!"

Ike turned around to see Lucas by the side of the fountain. He was waving for him to follow.

"_Foolish boy! That could have killed us both! Do not let your emotions control you_!"

"Can it! You weren't even helping me!" shot back Ike to the virus inside him.

Lucas was confused by his words.

"What? Ike?" he asked.

"Oh, sorry, Lucas. I...I don't know what came over me."

Ike ran over to his friend and joined him by the side f the fountain. They both looked at each other, admiring the bruises and scars on their faces. Lucas turned his attention back to the fountain.

"Look, I opened up a secret passage. There is an elevator here, too," he said.

He gestured toward the opening in the side of the fountain. A circular staircase led down to a caged elevator, which descended underground. Ike nodded.

"Alright. Come on then. Before he gets out of there," replied the swordsman as he glanced back at the frozen Mr. X.

They both ran down the stairs and into the elevator where Ike triggered the device to go down. The machine roared to life and the two friends were slowly carried down beneath ground level.

"What was that thing?" asked Lucas as he watched the moon above disappear out of view.

Ike paused for a second. That was a strange thing for Lucas to be asking considering he already had experience dealing with that monster.

"I...I don't know. But I know one thing for sure."

"What's that?"

"It's name...It's name is Mr. X."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Let us out of here right now! Someone! Anyone! Please!"

"Give it a rest, Marth. No one's coming."

Marth turned gave a dark glance at the Gerudo before turning back to the cell door.

"Somebody! Anybody!"

"For the love of God will you just SHUT UP!"

Ganon stood up from his seat and approached the Altean, sword in hand. Marth completely turned to him and drew his sword.

"Get away from me, Ganondorf."

"If you keep shouting, I swear, I'm gonna lose it!"

"Will you two stop fighting!"

The two swordsmen looked at who had shouted. Peach was sitting on the bench next to Mario and Ness. All three of them were close to tears.

"Fighting is not going to get us out of here! Now if you two don't stop it, I will!" she barked.

Marth and Ganon exchanged a final glance before sheathing their weapons. Marth returned to his post at the door. Too long had they been lying down here. Not one of them new the current time, except ROB of course. He had told them all an hour ago that it had been over 5 hours since their kidnapping. Strangely, not on of them felt hungry or tired. They just wanted to get out of here.

"When I get my hands on the guy leading Umbrella, I'm gonna wring his neck so hard, he'll wish he was dead!" shouted Ganondorf arrogantly.

"Put a sock in it, Ganon. Your empty threats aren't helping either," said Bowser from the side.

"Well, what do you want me to do!? We need to get out of here!"

"Ganon's right," said Marth. "We've tried everything to break down this door. And nothing seems to be working."

"Even worse," replied Peach. "We don't know where Ike or Zelda are."

"Or Falcon, or Meta Knight, or Lucas, or Lucario, or Pit."

"And Link, Samus, Snake and Sonic have been missing all day."

"That only leaves about 25 of us altogether. So much for the Smash Bros."

Other brawlers started to shout out other comments.

"We'll never make it out of here!"

"Our lives are over!"

"We should never have let our guard down!"

"This is all Master Hand's fault!"

"I'm thirsty!"

"I'm tired!"

"I wanna go home!"

"SHH! Quiet everyone! Someone's coming!" shouted Marth.

The other Smashers piped down as the swordsman looked through the small hole in the door. A soldier with a gas mask was standing outside.

"Hello," he greeted.

"Don't give me that bull crap, let us out of here!" shouted the Altean.

"YEAH!" the others joined in.

More yelling ensued here, so Marth had to hush everyone down again. When all was quiet, the soldier spoke.

"My name is Clyde Valchev. I have been ordered by my superior to let you all go."

The prisoners didn't know what to make out of this,as the all stared at each other, a small light sparkling in their faces.

"Really?" asked Marth, the sound of hope in his voice.

"Yes I have. Unfortunately, I can't."

"Why not?"

"The security lock on this door requires three keys. I...I'm missing one."

"Then why the hell did you come down here!?"

"Is there a chance that one of you may have it?"

"Yeah, that makes a lot of sense!"

"You don't understand. The key used to unlock this door is no ordinary key. It comes in the form of a square computer disk. Does this sound familiar to any of you?"

Some of the Smashers shook their heads, while others replied with a simple "No."

"Do you have any idea where it is?" asked Marth.

"I...I fear hat the key may be in the mansion..."

"What?"

"Stay here. I will be back for you all. I promise."

Clyde turned to leave.

"Hey wait come back! Don't leave!"

Marth stuck his arm out through the hole in an attempt to flag down the soldier, but to no avail. The door of the room shut, and Clyde Valchev was gone. Marth turned back to his friends, who all had worried expressions on their faces.

"Don't worry, guys. We'll make it out of here. We have to have faith in...Clyde."

In the silence, the sound of moving elevator could be heard through the wall.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Okay, here we are," said Ike.

The elevator stopped at the bottom floor, approximately 50 feet below ground level. The floors, walls and ceilings were made of metal. This was the laboratory he was looking for. Ivan Anderson was close by. Lucas and the swordsman stepped out of the elevator and into the room, their feet clanking on the metal flooring.

"What is this place?" asked Lucas.

"This is the lab. We'll find all the answers here," replied Ike.

The pair explored the small room. There was nothing much to see here except for an emergency exit and a ladder which led deeper underground.

"What's this door for?" asked Lucas.

"It won't open unless there is an emergency. It may come in handy later on. Remember that it's here."

"Okay."

Instinctively, the pair climbed down the ladder and into the lab. They found themselves standing in what appeared to be some kind of boiler room. Various steaming pipes and machines were against the wall, boxed off because of a cage. This room led to another door, which in turn, led to another hallway.

"Crap. This place is as complex as the mansion..."

The hallway circled around the edge of a staircase, which yet again, led underground. It was as if this place led to the centre of the earth.

"Ike, I don't like it here," said the blonde boy as he hugged himself.

Ike put an arm on his shoulder before directing his attention back to the room. It was clean down here, as if not one BOW has ever set foot in here. That could have been a good thing or a bad thing. At least these scientists were hygienic, unlike their bloody creations. Ike and Lucas walked along side the railing above the staircase. The hall came to a stop here, one path leading left, the other leading right. The right path lead to the stairs, while the left led to a lonely metal door. For safety's sake, the pair chose the left door.

"Why that door, Ike?" asked Lucas as the swordsman grasped the doorknob.

"I have a feeling...my questions will be answered here..." replied the swordsman as he attempted to open the door. It refused to open.

"It's not locked is it?"

"No, it doesn't seem like it. Unless..." Ike took a step back and the door slid open on it's own. "Ah, motion sensor. Automatic door."

Lucas gave a nod and they both entered the dark room. Ike's answers definitely were answered here.

He and Lucas were standing in the very room Ivan had been spying on them with. Tons of monitors were mounted to the wall, each of them displaying a different room of the mansion. Some of them revealed black and white static, proving that some of the cameras in the mansion had been destroyed.

"This...This is where he was watching us..."

The room was dark, the only source of light being a small reading lamp on the far desk and the monitors. Various filing cabinets were off to the side and out of the way. This room was definitely of utter importance to Ivan. Speaking of which, where was the little bastard? Lucas and Ike split up to explore the room.

Ike immediately approached Ivan's desk. He noticed the drawings of the circles on one of the papers on the desk, but couldn't make anything out of it. The envelope with his name on it got his attention. Ike reached down and picked up the sheet from Ivan's chair. He glanced at Lucas to make sure he wasn't looking. Fortunately, Lucas was on the other side, examining some pictures.

"_What are you waiting for? Open it_."

"Don't rush me," muttered Ike. He opened the orange envelope and read the letter that was for him. It was written in Ivan's hand writing.

_Dear Ike,_

_I don't know how to put this. It's very difficult to put my feelings down on paper. I do hope you understand the intentions behind this letter._

_I just want you to know that I'm very sorry for all the pain I have caused you. You can't imagine how stupid I feel telling you this. But right now, there are more important things at state, like your friends._

_Listen carefully. Underneath the desk before you, there is a small safe. Inside the safe is the cure for the T-Virus and G-Virus. There is only one sample of each so take care not to destroy them by accident, otherwise you will never be able to rid yourself of the virus. The combination on the lock for the safe is 2425. Your girlfriend should still be barely alive, so you will need to take this opportunity to inject the cure into her body. Make sure you are using the right cure before applying it, for injecting yourself with the T-Virus cure could lead to devastating effects. And whatever you do, don't let Mr. X get his hands on either of the cures._

_Also, your friends are in the prison cell one floor below this one. The door blocking the room is indestructible, so you will need three keys to unlock it. My associate, Clyde should have two of the keys you need. Look for him in the lab and he should be able to help you out. Th third key, however, is somewhere in the mansion. I hid it there for safeties sake in case something like this were ever to occur. The key itself is in the form of a computer disk, which you will need to activate in order to sop the locking mechanism. Do not worry, none of your friends have been infected except for the girl._

_Lastly, there is a self-destruct control in the room where your girlfriend is being held. You need to activate it if you are going to destroy Mr. X for good; you see, he can't just be defeated with a gun or a sword. I know the -Virus has granted you a lot of power, but it is still not enough to kill Mr. X for good. Therefore, destroying the entire mansion and laboratory is the only way. You will have exactly seven minutes to escape once the system is activated. You can use the emergency door on the floor above, which I'm sure you must have already seen. Follow that door until you find an elevator. This will lead you back to the courtyard where there will be two choppers waiting for you. Use them to escape, and be sure that Mr. X is killed for good, otherwise he will follow you._

_I think I have covered everything necessary for your escape. I'm very sorry it has to end like this. You probably really hate me now. Don't worry, I won't be causing you any more trouble. I will not be controlling your actions anymore. Everything you do from here on in, is by your own word. Again, I'm sorry for all the pain I have caused you and your friends, and I pray to God that you will forgive me._

_Make sure Clyde escapes it you; I don't know what I would do if he died because of me. Until we meet again, Ike, take care, and farewell._

_Ivan Anderson_

Ike ran his eyes up a down the page several times before lifting them up to look at Lucas. He wasn't paying attention to him at all. With a small frown,Ike tore the letter to pieces and threw it on the desk. The sound of paper shredding caused Lucas to jump.

"What was that?" he asked.

"Nothing, I was just tearing a useless piece of paper," replied the swordsman.

"Oh...Uh, Ike, I think I found something you should look at."

Ike walked over to the table Lucas was standing by. Various files and pictures were scattered across the table like litter. All of them contained information on the BOW's. Ike began shuffling through the pictures of zombies and Hunters.

"Is there anything in here about Mr. X?" he asked.

"No," replied Lucas. "Only the monsters we saw in the mansion."

He was right, Mr. X wasn't anywhere in the piles of papers. Not good. It seemed that Ike had no choice but to trust Ivan's words. He had to save his friends above all costs, even if it meat losing the G-Virus.

"Ike? What happened to your arm?"

Ike looked down to see that Lucas had seen his sword. He had been doing a good job at keeping it secret for now, but the blonde boy found out. Ike quickly thought of a lie.

"Nothing. It's just a new weapon I picked up. It attaches to your arm so you don't drop it. Wanna give it a try?"

"No."

"Alright, suit yourself."

Ike walked back over to the desk and peeked under it. Indeed, the safe he was looking for was down there. But did he really want to go through with it? If he applied the cure, he would lose the G-Virus forever.

"_Do you really want to get rid of me, boy_?"

"No. But I need to get the T-Virus cure if I'm going to save Zelda."

Instinctively, Ike entered the code, 2425. The lock clicked open and the door opened. Ike stuck his hand in and pulled out a test tube rack that contained a green liquid and a purple liquid. One of these was the cure for the T-Virus.

"Which one is it?" asked Ike, as he got to his feet to examine it.

"What's that, Ike?" asked Lucas from across the room.

"The cure for the T-Virus. I don't know which one it is though."

"_Destroy the purple one, boy_."

"What?"

"_Destroy the purple one_."

"Why? Do you know which one it is?"

"Ike, why are you talking to yourself?"

Ike realized that Lucas couldn't hear the virus in his head. Again, he thought up an excuse.

"It...It helps me think better."

"_Destroy it now_!"

"Why?!"

"Ike, you're starting to scare me..."

"Lucas, I can assure you there is nothing wrong!"

"_If you don't destroy it, I will_!"

"Hey hold on!"

"Ike!"

"STOP!"

A low voice broke through all the shouting. Both humans froze on the spot. They definitely heard that voice. And it sounded very familiar too. Ike and Lucas turned to the source of the sound.

There by the door, stood a short swordsman, a cracked mask covering his face. The dark knight's sword was drawn, and his eyes were a crimson color.

Meta Knight was alive.

-

**Author's Note:** Review please. ;)


	17. Ike and Meta Knight

After Dark: The Mansion Incident

**Author's Note:** How many weeks has it been? Two? Wow, that's a new record for me. I'm sorry for making you guys wait so long for the next chapter, but I was on vacation for the past 8 days. I wasn't able to update my story as quick as I wanted to, but no worries because I'm back and I plan to keep it like that. Actually, I had to look back at the last chapter because I forgot what happened. Anyway, yeah, here's the long awaited chapter 17.

-

Chapter 17: Ike and Meta Knight

All three survivors exchanged unscrupulous glances at each other, Ike and Lucas especially. An uneasy sense of distrust befell the group, causing Meta Knight to constantly point his sword between the two friends. Ike didn't know what to make of the situation. He thought Meta Knight was dead, according to Lucas' information. But here he was standing before him, armour, cape and all. Save for the cracked mask, the lone Star Warrior looked intact. The thought of him surviving any kind of large snake attack just seemed unrealistic. Ike was the first to speak above the silence.

"Meta Knight? I...how?...I...I thought you were-"

"Dead? Yes, I too feared that my fate was already sealed, no thanks to a certain blonde haired boy."

Lucas took a step back, nearly falling over the desk behind him. He gave out a small high-pitched squeal in the process. His greatest fear had finally come before him: the traitor was still alive.

"Lucas told me you were the traitor. He said he-"

"Say no more. I do not wish to relive those lies. I haven't betrayed anyone. If anyone should be accused of being the traitor, it should be him."

Meta Knight aimed his weapon in the direction of Lucas, causing him to cry out again in fear.

He knew he was in for it this time. Meta Knight was a cold blooded warrior, but he would never do something as sinister as turning on a beloved friend. Unfortunately for Lucas, the horrexperience in the mansion had altered his personality, turning him into a monster similar to Ike.

"I'm not the traitor, Meta Knight! You are! You're supposed to be dead!" cried Lucas as he fell on his butt.

He continued to back as far away from the doorway as he could, tears flooding his face. He refused to accept the fact that Meta Knight wasn't the traitor. Ike was just as dumbfounded as he was.

"Okay, okay, hold on. Something tells me that I'm not getting the whole story here," said Ike as he hid the two cures from the Star Warrior's view.

"_There is no time for small talk boy! Destroy the cure!_"

"I feel exactly the same way, Ike. Actually, I have a few questions to ask you myself. But please, allow me to enlighten you on my part. Lucas is the traitor."

"I am not! Ike don't listen to him, he's lying!"

"Quiet you fool! See, this is exactly what he wants you to think! He's plotted our downfall since the beginning! He has been feeding Umbrella secret information about our identities and our weaknesses!"

"He was going to kill Falcon!"

"You left me for dead, Lucas!"

"_Ugh! I've had enough!_"

Ike cried out in pain as he keeled over on his knees, sword on one arm, cures in the other. He could feel the eyeball pulsating wildly on his chest. The virus was taking over forcefully this time.

"Argh! No! Stop! Not now!"

"Ike, what's wrong!?" cried Lucas as he scrambled to his feet.

He couldn't control it this time. Ike hunched over, slouching his shoulders and breathing heavily. He and the virus were one again.

"What the hell is wrong with him? What happened to his arm?" asked Meta Knight.

"I don't know! He's been acting really weird lately!" replied Lucas.

"_At last_..." said the virus.

Ike rose to his feet, revealing the test tube rack to the two survivors.

"_At last my time has come. You ignorant fo__o__ls were doomed from the very start_!

"That'not Ike, said Meta Knight.

"What do you mean?" replied Lucas.

"Look at him. He's been infected with the virus. It is exactly as I feared. The mutation has already taken place. Soon, he will turn into one of those undead monsters just like in the mansion."

Ike gave out a menacing chuckle, as if he was being possessed by some evil spirit.

"Ha ha. You really are ignorant. This whole operation, the experiment, the T-Virus, this boy's infection. It was all planned from the beginning. Those fools at Umbrella underestimated my prowess. And now, you will pay the price. In my hand, I hold the cure for the T-Virus, and I hold the cure for the G-Virus. The ONLY samples that were saved from years ago. And now that they are in my possession, you will all die!"

Ike let go of the cures.

"No!" shouted Meta Knight.

The only hope of saving Ike and Zelda, 10 years of dedicated research and strife, all gone to waste.

Lucas immediately sprung into action.

He didn't know whacame over him, but no doubt, it had something to do with his instinct. Lucas dashed at the swordsman and slid across the floor, just in time to save the cures before being smashed into a million pieces. He recovered and jumped over the Meta Knight who was standing by the door. The Star Warrior did not look at him.

"Lucas you idiot! Give that back to me!" shouted Ike as he swung his sword through the air as a warning.

Lucas turned to Meta Knight for support. The Star Warrior's eyes had reverted back to their original golden colour.

"Good job, Lucas. We may have a chance at stopping the virus before it spreads with this. I just...I need to know...Can I trust you this time?" he asked.

Lucas wasn't sure how to reply to this.

One minute, the Star Warrior wanted to have his head, the next, he wanted to co-operate with him. He wasn't one hundred percent sure, but Lucas had a small feeling that Meta Knight's personality depended on the colour of his eyes. It was not the result of the T or G-Virus, no. This little transformation was all on Meta Knight's part. His reputation as the emotionless warrior has been vanquished.

The two survivors stared into each others eyes before Lucas gave a small smirk and a nod.

"Yes. I won't leave you again," he said.

And just as he hoped, Meta Knight responded in peace.

"Good. Now, hand me one of the cures," he replied.

"Which one?"

"Anyone. Ike must not get his hands on both."

Lucas hesitated before handing the Star Warrior the purple cure.

"What are we going to do, Meta Knight?"

"You take that one and search for our friends. They're sure to be down here somewhere."

"Lucas. I'll give you one more chance. Give me the cures," pestered Ike.

Lucas did his best to ignore it. He didn't want to believe that his friend had succumbed to the corrupting might of the G-Virus. Ike was no longer the kind hearted swordsman he once knew. He was a monster. Lucas took the green test tube out of the rack and dropped the framework on the ground.

"I know that's not you, Ike. I'm going to save you. I'm going to save us all," sai the brave boy.

Ike gave a low growl.

"That's what I was hoping for..."

The swordsman leaped into action at lightning speed and slashed at the blonde boy. Lucas didn't have any time to react, causing him to flinch a little too late. Meta Knight jumped in front of him and deflected the attack. Ike and the Star Warrior were locked in place, pushing their weapons at each other.

"Lucas! Go! I'll stall him! he shouted.

Lucas nodded before scurrying out the door, away from his trusted friend and temporary enemy. Ike started chuckling again.

"Heh. So, you've decided to split up. Pity. It's going to far too easy to kill you both now that you're separated.

"I wouldn't count on it," replied the Star Warrior cooly.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Lucas headed for the stairs, a rush of tears flooding his face. He had left Meta Knight on his own, again. This time he wasn't up against a giant snake or Mr. X, but Ike, the most powerful fighter in the Smash Bros. Not only that, but he had the full strength of an adult G-Virus on his side. Meta Knight was as good as dead. Lucas only prayed that the cure in his hand would be the key to ending this whole mess.

He whirled around the corner of the railing and swept down the stairs, clanking his feet on the cold metal every step of the way. The fact was, he didn't know where in the world he was going. As Ike siad before, this lab was as complex as the mansion. If he stumbled upon a room that would ensure the safety of his friends, it would be mere chance. The PSI boy couldn't even think straight as he stumbled down the stairs. Regardless of the valuable chemical in his hands, Lucas was persistent in maintaining his balance.

He did not see the figure walking towards him at the bottom of the stairs. Lucas slammed into the Umbrella soldier passing by at the bottom, nearly dropping the cure in the process. Clyde Valchev stood strong.

"Huh? Who are you?" he asked as he pulled out his SMG.

Lucas picked himself up off the floor and took a few cautious steps back. The lighting in this hallway was dull, so the blonde boy had no idea that the suit of blaarmour before him was human.

"Ah! Stay back! I'm warning you!" he threatened, holding the cure as far away from the stranger as he could.

"Hey wait! I'm not going to hurt you! I'm human!" said Private Valchev.

Lucas stared into the blue lenses of the mask, verifying that this man meant no harm. However, afteenduring the death of Falcon, he really didn't know who to trust anymore. After a brief pause, the blonde boy lowered his guard, along with his shoulders and any thoughts of him being threatened.

Clyde holstered his gun and kneeled down so that he and Lucas were at the same height.

"You...You're one of the survivors from the mansion," said Private Valchev as he scanned Lucas' beaten body up and down.

Lucas hesitated to reply, but did his best to make himself sound strong.

"I am. Are you...one of the soldiers who kidnapped us?..." he asked.

"Indirectly, in a manner of speaking." The soldier noticed the green chemical in the boy's hand. "Where did you get that?"

"Hm? Um, what?" said Lucas as he hid the test tube behind his back.

It was a rather failed attempt at concealing the obvious.

"You found the cure for the T-Virus. Then that must mean...you found out the code to Ivan's safe."

"I didn't. Ike got it for me. But he's-"

"Ike? Oh God. Where is he?"

"How do you know him?"

"Just tell me where he is."

Lucas stared deeply into the soldiers eyes behind the mask. He really didn't know what he wanted to say now. A part of him wanted to run away, while the other wanted to tell the soldier the truth. But what if the scary man in black armor was lying?

"Ike...He's upstairs with Meta Knight. I think...their fighting..." he finally said.

The soldier slowly got to his feet and looked up the staircase. Metal objects and glass could be vaguely heard smashing against each other.

"Your friend may not have long to live. Ike has been infected with the G-Virus," said Clyde.

Lucas had a look of shock on his face. Ike really was infected. The blonde boy had no idea what the difference between the T-Virus and the G-Virus was, but he knew that neither of them were a good thing.

"How do we stop it?" asked Lucas.

"We need the other cure. It's the only way we'll be al to save him."

Lucas remembered Meta Knight holding the purple vial.

"Meta Knight has the other one!" said Lucas, a bit of fear trickling in his voice.

"Damn. We can't let Ike get his hands on the cure, otherwise he'll destroy it and there won't be any way of saving him or your friends. Look, you have to listen to me...um..."

"Lucas."

"Lucas. Right. Listen. Go down this hallway and make a right turn. At the end of that hall, you'll find a door. Go through it and go straight until you come to another hall. Go left from there and head to the elevator. The girl infected with the T-Virus lies at the bottom. You know her. I think her name is Zelda."

"Zelda? She's down there!?"

"She is and she doesn't have much time before the virus kills her completely. When you find her, twist the cap on that test tube. It will reveal a needle. Use that to inject the virus into Zelda's blood stream. Make sure you know where you're aiming before you use it; if you hit a muscle or a tendon, it could kill her."

Lucas' mouth dropped. The weight of all these direction and information was making him sick; not to mention the thought of using a needle on someone.

"A-Aren't you coming with me?" Lucas asked eagerly.

"I can't. I have to make sure the G-Virus cure is okay. Just remember what I said, and you'll be fine."

With that, Private Valchev drew his weapon and ran up the stairs. Lucas stared at the green chemical in his hand one last time before looking back at the soldier.

"Hey wait! Who are you?" he asked.

The soldier stopped halfway up the stairs and glanced at the blonde boy.

"My name is Clyde Valchev. I am not your enemy. I am a friend."

Clyde turned back and disappeared from Lucas' view. For a moment, Lucas didn't know what to do. He felt helpless under all the stress. But it was too late to act like a coward now. Mustering up as much courage as he could, Lucas ran down the hallway and made a right turn, praying in his mind that the information Private Valchev gave him was true.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_"Aether!" _

_Ike threw his sword at the airborne swordsman, but Meta Knight was quick and he dodged just in time to avoid getting hit. The Star Warrior swooped down when Ik landed, knocking him off his feet with a few quick slashes with Galaxia. Ike landed flat on his back as Meta Knight flew to a safe distance on the Battlefield. _

_"Heh. Wow, you really are as good as they say, Meta Knight," said the blue haired swordsman. _

_Meta Knight nodded in response. _

_"You are not so bad yourself. It is a real honor fighting someone as skilled as you." _

_Ike smirked as he pulled himself to his feet, swinging Ragnell up onto his shoulders professionally. _

_"Well, I don't know aobut you, but I think our audience is getting kind of bored with our warning strikes." _

_Ike gestured to the group of Smashers standing up on the viewing platform above the stage. Link, Samus, Captain Falcon, Zelda and Lucario were all cheering for their friend. _

_"Come on Ike! You can do it!" said Zelda. _

_"Meta Knight! Show him that Falcon Punch I taught you last week!" shouted Falcon. _

_Ike laughed at Falcon's comment. _

_"You know how to do a Falcon Punch?" he asked, a bit of humor in his voice. _

_Meta Knight rolled his eyes. _

_"No. I would never use an attack as reckless as that. Besides, my arms are too short," he replied. _

_"Meta Knight, use the Tornado!" said Link. _

_"Hey, I thought you were on my side!" shouted Ike. _

_"We are, Ike. But, we have to support Meta Knight too, you know," replied Samus. _

_Lucario did not say anything at all. He preferred to study his opponents moves. After all, whoever won this match would be facing him in the final round of the tournament. _

_"Ike quit fooling around!" shouted Zelda. _

_"Okay, okay, okay!" replied the swordsman. _

_Ike dashed at his shorter foe, ready to slash his sword in his direction. Meta Knight jumped up out of reach again. _

_"Nice try!" _

_Ike saw it coming and he quickly jumped up on one of the floating platforms. The Star Warrior had no time to react as his face soon met the cold metal of Ike's two-handed sword. Meta Knight flew out off the stage, but not far enough for him to be out of bounds. _

_"Hmph," he grunted as he flew up and grabbed the edge of the stage. _

_Ike smirked as he jumped down and stood before him triumphantly. _

_"Are you tired yet?" he asked seriously. Meta Knight stared at him, the same serious look on his face. In a flash, the Star Warrior climbed up and slashed, forcing Ike to leap back a safe distance. "I'll take that as a 'No'." _

_"Meta Knight looks tired," said Link. _

_"Yeah, just look at him sweating down there," replied Zelda. _

_"Come on Meta Knight! Use the Falcon Punch!" _

_"Um...I don't think he can..." retorted Samus. _

_Ike could sense it too. Meta Knight was getting tired. They had been fighting for over 20 minutes. Not one of them had been knocked off the stage yet. Of course, Ike could feel his muscles breaking from under the weight of his sword. He had to maintain control of the field, otherwise Meta Knight would just walk right over him. The Star Warrior spun around at lightning speeds, creating a miniature tornado around him. _

_"Time to finish you, Ike!" he shouted as he charged right for the vulnerable swordsman. _

_Ike flinched as the golden vortex of Galaxia came at him. Quickly, he dodged to the left, causing the Star Warrior to pass by him. This was his chance to strike. _

_"Meta Knight! Look out behind you!" shouted Falcon. _

_But it was too late. Ike brought his sword over his head and slammed it down onto Meta Knight's body, completely destroying the tornado, as well as any of his chances at becoming the champion._

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Star Warrior flew back and slammed into the wall of monitors, smashing several of them to pieces. Sparks flew in all directions, pelting his mask with heat and electricity. Ike stood in the middle of the room among the scattered and torn papers smiling evilly.

"Are you tired yet, Mate Knight?" he asked sarcastically.

Meta Knight got back on his feet and jumped to the floor.

"Ike...Don't do this. The virus...It's controlling you..." he said weakly.

"_Pay no attention to him, boy. He just wants all this power to himself. He is jealous of you_."

Meta Knight was too weak; the battle he endured from the large snake had left him tired and vulnerable. His main objective was to keep the cure safe, but he was struggling to keep himself alive. Ike had already defeated him once in the past. It would be even easier a second time with the G-Virus on his side.

The blue haired swordsman licked the blood from his lips and tapped his bloody sword on the metal floor.

"If you won't give me the cure...I'll have to kill you too!" he shouted.

Ike charged at the Star Warrior, sword flailing about wildly.

It was over. Meta Knight had lost. Two times to the same guy. His reputation was really going down the drain. Being a swordsman of honor, Meta Knight accepted his fate. He sheathed his sword and kneeled down on the ground, allowing all the stresses of his life to leave him. He closed his eyes. Ike took no notice of this, as his mind was clouded by the dark intentions of the virus.

"_Kill kill kill kill kill kill_!"

"Get down!"

The Star Warrior opened his eyes to see an Umbrella soldier standing behind the rampaging Ike.

Clyde Valchev fired off round after round of bullets into Ike's back.

RATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATA!

"Get out of there!" shouted Clyde.

Meta Knight nodded and quickly ran out of the cross fire, right to Valchev's side. Ike couldn't move as the wave of bullets broke through his skin.

"AAAAAHHHHHH!" he screamed.

The force of the weapon pushed Ike right into the smashed monitors, causing the entire system to short circuit. Clyde stopped firing when he saw the sparking wires electrocuting the infected swordsman on the other side of the room.

Meta Knight just stared in horror as his friend was being fried alive right before his own eyes.

"Meta Knight! Argh! Help me!" cried Ike.

The wires had wrapped themselves around him now, cutting him off from any hopes of escape. Ironic how the security cameras--Ivan's main identity in the mansion--had proven to be the most lethal weapon against Ike.

"META KNIGHT! PLEASE!"

It wasn't Ike that was crying that time, it was the virus.

Still, the Star Warrior did not move.

Ike's body soon became limp as the electricity died down. Smoke sizzled from his back as he leaned on the broken glass of the monitors. The heat from the wires had burnt all of his upper clothing off, causing his armor to fall to the floor. Meta Knight thought he would never live to see the day, but it was now true.

Ike was dead.

"I had no choice. He would have killed us all if I didn't do something," said the soldier as he holstered his SMG.

Meta Knight looked up at the human.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"Clyde Valchev. I work for Umbrella. I'm also the lat solider in the lab. I've been ordered to set you and your friends go, Meta Knight."

Meta Knight wanted to ask how Clyde had known his name, but he didn't. His mind was too fixed on Ike's body lying on the other side of the room.

"I...I had...the...cure..." said the Star Warrior slowly as he produced the purple chemical. "I...I could have saved him..."

"It's better off this way. We know for sure he won't be harming anyone. I really wish I could have done something to prevent it, but I couldn't risk him killing you. Truly, I am sorry."

Meta Knight didn't reply, but continued to stare at the body of his fallen friend.

"I...had the cure..."

"Hm?"

"I...I promised myself I would never fight him again..."

"We should get out of here while we still can."

"He...was my...my..."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_"Friends?" _

_Ike offered his hand to the Star Warrior. _

_Meta Knight hesitated. _

_He would rather much prefer picking himself up off the ground, but his honor was at stake. Instinctively, he grabbed Ike's strong hand and pulled himself to his feet. The others cheered. _

_"Great job Ike!" _

_"We knew you could do it!" _

_"Dammit Meta Knight! I had 50 bucks on you!" _

_Ike left his sword on the ground and smiled at his friend. _

_"You put up a great fight. I haven't had a challenge like that for a while," he said. _

_Meta Knight glanced at the ground before replying. _

_"Um. Yes. Well, you are a very strong warrior yourself. It was an honor clashing swords with you." _

_"Yep. I guess I can thank you for letting me move on to the finals." _

_"I did not let you." _

_"Ha ha! I know, I'm just teasing." _

_"Indeed. I will leave you to your spoils now." _

_Meta Knight walked over to the boarding platform, preparing to leave the Battlefield. _

_"Huh? Hey, Meta Knight are you alright?" asked Ike. _

_Meta Knight showed no emotion. He did not shed any tears, nor did he lose control of his temper. But judging from the way he was walking, Ike could tell that he was upset; probably about losing the match. Meta Knight stopped walking, but did not turn around. _

_"I'm fine, Ike. I...I just need to train harder. That is all. You have beaten me fair and square. Congratulations." _

_"Hey, wait-" _

_"Promise me one thing, Ike." _

_"Hm?" _

_"Promise me that no matter what happens, we shall never fight again. Not...not until I've gotten stronger. I that okay?" _

_Ike paused for a moment, trying to figure out the true meaning behind Meta Knight;'s wish. _

_"Alright. I promise. We will never fight again." _

_"Not until I become strong enough that I think I can beat you." _

_"Not until you become strong enough." _

_"You promise?" _

_"Only if you promise."_

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"I promise, Ike...I promise."

Meta Knight closed his eyes and left the room.

Private Valchev didn't even have time to stop him.

Faces and memories flashed before the Star Warrior's eyes. He felt like a part of his life had been burnt away, along with Ike's body. He felt incomplete. For the first time that night, Meta Knight confessed to himself the reason why he had lost to Ike on that fateful day. The reason why he struggled against the creatures in the mansion. The reason why he threatened Lucas and Falcon. The reason why Ike was dead. The real reason why Meta Knight was so weak was because he refused to show his emotions. Warriors were not soft they were mean; trained to fight like a machine, stopping at nothing to achieve goals. and now, Meta Knight was realizing the truth. All the training he had undergone in the past, to be the most powerful warrior, it was all wasted. Ike was crowned the most powerful fighter in the world not because of his strength, or by his survival kills, but by his dedication and compassion towards his friends. That was one key factor in the game of life that Meta Knight had never seen. Seeing Ike's dead body only proved this.

The Star Warrior ran to the stairs and stopped at the railing, leaning on it from exhaustion.

He was crying.

Clyde Valchev quickly came to his side.

"Hey, it's okay. Calm down. There's nothing more you can do," he said, attempting to comfort the broken swordsman.

Meta Knight did not reply but continued to stare at his feet, the cure dangling in his hand loosely.

All the good times he spent with Ike, all the training they had done together, it was nothing more than a faint memory. He had completely forgotten to ask Ike how h had managed to escape from the Umbrella soldiers. Looks like he would never find out.

"Meta Knight. There's no point in dwindling on your past. It only clouds your mind of what you seek in the future," said the soldier.

The Star Warrior sniffled a bit before replying.

"How would you know anything of the sort? You work for Umbrella. Their the ones who started this whole mess in the first place."

"I may work for Umbrella...but I'm a person with my own rights. All I'm saying is, you can't blame yourself for the death of a loved one. It just-"

"Umbrella has killed thousands of people on the past! What gives you the right to tell me how I should feel about Ike' death!?"

"Because it was actions like this that killed Ivan!"

Meta Knight fell silent here.

He didn't know how to react to the soldiers statement. He wasn't concerned about Ivan's death--it was a bit enlightening though--but Clyde had a point. Ike was someone he was just going to have to let go of. He never met him in the mansion, but he knew in his heart that Ike was a born fighter, just like himself. And sulking over lost lives don't lead to anywhere but more depression. This was not the path of a warrior.

After a brief moment of silence, Meta Knight stood tall. He gripped the G-Virus cure tightly in his hand.

"Clyde...You're right. I can't mourn over my loss now. I have to save my other friends."

"Yes."

"All I can do now is save as many people as I can."

"You're right."

The Star Warrior looked up at the soldier.

"Thank you, Clyde. You...You've helped me a lot. I don't know how to thank you."

"You can thank me later. Right now, we have to save your friends. Lucas already went down to the laboratory. He's gone to save Zelda."

"He has?"

"Yep. The others are locked up in a cell downstairs, but I can't open the lock without a special key."

"What kind of key?"

"A square computer disk. I think it's somewhere in the mansion, so we'll have to go back and-"

Meta Knight revealed the disk to the soldier.

"Lucas and I found it in the mansion. Is this what you are looking for?"

Although he couldn't see his face, Meta Knight could tell that Clyde was smiling.

"Yes! That's it! There may be hope yet!"

The Star Warrior handed the soldier the key, which Clyde inspected closely.

"Is it the right one?" asked Mate Knight.

"Yep. This is good. Come on, we've got some people to save."

"You lead the way."

Clyde walked down the nearby stairs into the lab. Meta Knight paused before looking back at the security room. His tears had gone away now.

"Good-bye, Ike. I'll be waiting for a rematch."

The Star Warrior dusted himself off and ran down the stairs. Private Clyde Valchev was already at the bottom.


	18. Gene or God?

After Dark:The Mansion Incident

Chapter 18: Gene or God?

Lucas ran his little legs down the dark hallway. Several wires and pipes poked out of the walls as he treaded deeper into the lab. He hoped that the soldier he met wasn't lying to him about the location of Zelda, or how to use the cure. Fortunately, but unknown to him, Clyde was a man of his word.

Lucas stumbled upon the hall that led in two directions. Following his memory, he went left, moving as quickly and quietly as he could. He feared for more of those zombies to be lurking down here. He was even more afraid for Ike and Meta Knight. He had always known the two swordsmen to be good friends, especially after the huge fight they had during the tournament. But they were fighting again, this time to the death. Ike was no longer the same man he met earlier this year. Lucas could have put himself in comparison when he ditched Meta Knight in the mansion, but it didn't occur to him.

Actually, he was surprised that Meta Knight didn't chop his head off when he had the chance. In his heart, Lucas believed that the Star Warrior was being controlled by the evil of the mansion, which is why he returned back to normal when he left. Yes, that seemed like the most logical explanation. That is, unless Meta Knight has a split personality. Nah.

The blonde boy stopped when he came across a large elevator, leading deeper into the complex. Zelda lay beyond here.

Lucas glanced at the chemical in his hand. He shivered at the thought of having to inject a needle into her body. Even thinking aobut those things gave him goosebumps. He remembered how much it hurt when Mario had given him his flu shot about a year ago. Not the most enjoyable experience he could recall. But now, he had to be the doctor in charge. And if he missed the vein, his patient could very well die. Lucas had never dreamed of being a doctor when he grows up, and this new responsibility was reminding him why.

Taking a deep breath, Lucas hit the button on the panel, calling the elevator and in turn, opening the door. He stepped in cautiously, allowing the doors to close behind him. What was even more eerie was how the elevator made no sound as it booted to life. He felt himself being moved several meters more underground. At this point, escape was going to be difficult. He couldn't even remember the route he had taken to get here in the first place.

The only thing that came to mind was the frozen image of Mr. X in a block of ice.

The elevator came to a halt, and the doors slid open easily. Lucas had his eyes shut the whole ride down until the bottom, where he lightly stepped out and went down the metallic hall. A single automatic door stood at the end, his destination. He walked over to it, allowing it to open on it's own.

Finally, he had made it to the laboratory.

The room was large, and very dimly lit. Locating Zelda was no hard feat, as she was lying on a table in the center of the room. All around her stood ccryogenic tubes containing familiar monsters such as Crimson Heads, Hunters, Tyrants, all suspended in a frozen state. The sight of these beings made Lucas want to turn tail and run, but he held strong. Beyond Zelda's table was a wall of switches, buttons and computer monitors; in other words, nothing he should be too concerned about.

After briefly scanning the room, Lucas ran to Zelda's side.

She was very pale. Her breaths were short and hard, and he was sweating uncontrollably. The herbs that Ike had given her earlier had helped a little, but they had not completely destroyed the virus for good. Lucas studied her body, searching for a pot to inject the cure. Actually, he wasn't sure what he was doing. Various types of medical equipment and tools were on a rolling rack by the table. Even Zelda herself was strapped down by leather belts going across her body.

Lucas was almost certain that if he didn't act quick, she would turn into another one of those zombies in the mansion. Even worse, she would grab him and attempt to eat him. Not quite the ending Lucas was hoping for.

Remembering what Clyde had told him, Lucas twisted the cap on the test tube. A long needle shot out of the end of it causing him to flinch. He regained control of his emotions and held the needle up high, looking for a clear spot. He knew that the most obvious place to find blood veins was in the wrist, but she was so sick, that he could even see the blood stream through her pale skin. But this was the only spot where he could be certain.

Hesitantly, Lucas lowered the needle and stuck it into her body, not even thinking aobut applying rubbing alcohol first. The thin metal slipped into her wrist easily, causing the cure to be transferred automatically. Lucas prayed silently as he watched the green chemical diminish from the vial.

As the last drop of cure entered her body, Lucas pulled the needle out and tossed it on the floor, shattering it instantly. Blood started oozing slowly out of the pin point Lucas made on her wrist. He waited for some sort of sign of life. For every second that passed by, Lucas cursed himself even more if he killed his friend.

No response came from her, except for her breathing which slowed to a steady pace. The blonde boy clasped his hand in hers, absorbing the cold from her body. A few tears fell from his face and onto her dress. For a moment, Lucas really believed that he did kill her.

Suddenly, she started opening her eyes slowly. After a few blinks, she lifted her head slightly to see the sight of Lucas holding her hand.

"Lucas..." she started, her voice cracking a bit.

The blonde boy's head rose at the sound of her voice.

She was alive.

Lucas cried out as he threw himself around her and started hugging her tight.

"You're okay! Zelda you're okay!" he cried, tears flooding his eyes.

Zelda smiled at his touch, but it was rather uncomfortable because she was still strapped down.

"Lucas...You saved me...didn't you?" she asked.

Lucas got off of her and wiped his face with his dirty hands.

"I did!" he said excitedly as he started undoing the straps.

"You saved...my life..." repeated Zelda.

As Lucas undid the last belt, he looked up at her in disbelief.

He really did save her life. To the blonde boy, this was more than a wish come true; it was a miracle. He had never been commemorated for saving someone's life since he joined the Smash Bros. Someone always had to come in and save him whenever he was in trouble; Subspace and Raccoon City were prime examples. Here, he wasn't a scared little boy or a pain in the neck anymore; he was a hero.

Lucas smiled at her, forcing her to smile back again.

"Come on, Zelda. Let's get out of here."

The sound of breaking glass made the two friends jump. There was someone else in the room.

"What was that?" asked Zelda as she got off the table.

Lucas got to the other side of the table and looked at the mass of computer controls on the other side. A large white glove was tinkering with the controls, pressing several buttons and flipping even more switches. Lucas recognized the figure immediately.

"M-Master Hand?!" he shouted.

The large hand jumped when he found he had been discovered. Quickly, he slammed his fist on a large red button and flew out of the room using one of the side exits. Lucas and Zelda only stared in disbelief.

"Master Hand? What's he doing here?" asked Zelda.

Lucas was in shock. This whole time he had been wrong. The traitor he had been searching for the whole time, the very reason why he kept fighting, his answer was none other than Master Hand.

"Master Hand's the traitor!" shouted Lucas as he ran to the door the hand disappeared behind. He stopped at the sound of a buzzing siren.

The entire room started flashing with a red light as a female computerized voice boomed over the intercom.

"_The self-destruct system has been activated. All personal must evacuate immediately_."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"_Get up, boy_."

"Ugh. My head. My back. It...It hurts so much..."

"_Get up_!"

"I can't. My...My body has reached it's limit. I can't feel my...arm..."

"_They have betrayed you! Soiled your good name! you can't take that from them! Now get up_!"

"So...tired..."

"_GET UP_!"

"No! I can't be alive! I'm supposed to be dead! You...you just won't won't leave me alone."

"_You will not die! Not as long as I still live_!"

"I can't move at all. It hurts so much."

"_Then I have no choice but to reveal my true form_."

"What? No, you can't. I shouldn't be here right now. I can't let you harm them any longer."

"_It is time to fulfill the wishes of my creators_."

"Wait stop! Please! No more! I don't want any more!"

"_Your opinion does not matter any longer. I have tried to be lenient with you these past few hours. It is time I show you the true power of the G-Virus_."

Ike fell backward onto the cold floor, the bleeding eyeball on his chest growing in size. He was starting to lose feeling in his arms and legs.

"Stop it! STOP!"

It was no use; the virus would not listen. Ike could see his muscles growing at an intense rate. His entire body structure was morphing into some kind of monster. His sword arm had changed into a large claw, his face mutating into an unidentifiable form. He scratched and clawed on the ground, he even cried for help, but no one came.

No one was there to witness the virus devouring his very body.

"It feels so good to finally be out of that shell."

Ike stopped struggling and fell limp.

The virus had won.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"What's going on here?"

"Hm? What's wrong?"

"Someone has triggered the self-destruct system. Dammit! There's no time! We have to move now!"

Clyde ran into the cell room, Meta Knight following behind.

"Are my friends in here?" asked the Star Warrior.

"Yeah. We have to get them out of here as quickly as we can," replied Clyde as he gripped the disk tightly in his hand.

He ignored the purple flashing lights on the ceiling as well as the annoying buzzing sound. Meta Knight on the other hand got more worried and worried with each passing step. How much time did they have exactly? Clyde burst into the dark room and ran over to the control panel. Marth's face was poking out through the small box in the door.

"Clyde! Oh thank God you came back!" he said thankfully.

"No time to talk now. We've got to get you out of here," replied the soldier.

Meta Knight ran up beside him and looked up to see the prince's face looking through the door.

"Marth?" he asked.

Marth looked down to see the short warrior.

"Meta Knight? You're here too?"

"Indeed I am. We must act quickly. This whole place is going to explode if we don't get out of here."

"Explode!?"

"Done!" said Clyde as he stuck the disk into place.

The locking mechanism clicked and the cell door slid open on it's own.

"Hey the doors open!" said one of the Smashers inside.

More of them started cheering.

"Come on! Let's get out of here!"

"Freedom! At last!"

"Hey, what's that buzzing sound?"

"We're running out of time!"

"Meta Knight, what are you doing here?"

Clyde stepped aside as the strange-looking-people made their way out of the cell, some of them giving him deathly glares as they passed by. Marth walked up to the Star Warrior.

"Are there any other survivors, Meta Knight?" asked the prince.

"There is but a few. I have to go find them," replied the Star Warrior with nod.

"How are we going to get out of here?" asked Ness.

"Clyde will take you all to the emergency exit, right Clyde?"

The Umbrella soldier gave a salute.

"Right. I'll leave you to find Lucas and any others. This way everyone!" Clyde ran to the exit, a parade of Smashers following him from behind.

"Wait, shouldn't we help too?" asked Olimar.

"There's no time! Meta Knight can take care of himself!" shouted Ganondorf.

Marth stayed behind with the Star Warrior. When everything went silent--save for the sirens--Meta Knight spoke up.

"Why do you remain here?" he asked.

Marth brushed his hair out of his eyes.

"I'll help you find anyone else who's down here," he insisted.

Meta Knight nodded.

"Okay. Thank you. I have a feeling I know where Lucas is. You better follow me."

The Star Warrior dashed out the exit, the prince following closely behind.

Marth has always been known as the type of guy to stand up for what is right. His personality could very well be compared to Ike, except he's not as short tempered. In his own right, Marth was as skilled with a sword as Falcon was with a gun. And Meta Knight trusted this swordsman with his life. Why it was almost nearly a year ago since the Star Warrior crossed blades with the prince of Altea, and since that time they have been friends as well as partners. Meta Knight always found it more helpful to make friends rather than enemies. Of course, he never would have suspected Ike of becoming his enemy. Unbeknownst to him, problems like these can only be solved with the help of someone else; someone he can trust, someone he can talk to. Marth was not this person.

As they went into the main hall with the staircase, Marth spoke up.

"How long have you been here?" he asked rather loudly.

It was a good thing he was raising his voice, otherwise the Star Warrior would not have been able to hear him.

"I've been here for as long as you have," replied Meta Knight just as loudly.

"Did you see Ike anywhere?"

Meta Knight paused before replying. How would Marth react if he told him that Ike was dead? The Star Warrior decided to just humor him.

"Oh, yes. I ran into him. We got separated though. I do believe...I believe he is doing fine."

"Do you think he's down here?"

"Ugh, no. He left. Um. Yes, no need to worry about him, he's fine. We just have to find Lucas."

The two friends ran down the hallways, ignoring the minor details on the walls and ceiling, including the siren.

"Are you feeling alright?" asked Marth.

Again, Meta Knight was hesitant to reply. He was still a bit shaken up from the event that took place in the monitor room.

"What do you mean?" he replied cooly.

"You don't...seem like yourself."

"It's been a long day for me."

"Oh, I see."

You could always count on Marth to try to comfort you in a time of need. But the Star Warrior was going to need more than a few friendly words in order to get his head back on track.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"_The self-destruct system has been activated. All personal must evacuate immediately_."

"I can't open the door Master Hand went through!" cried Lucas as he pulled on the metal barrier with all his might.

There was only one exit left in this room, and that was the one he used to get in here.

Zelda was examining the monsters frozen in the large tubes.

"What...are these things?" she asked as she placed her palm on the glasss containing a Hunter.

Still, the siren continued to buzz off. Lucas ran back to Zelda's side.

"Zelda! We need to get out of here!" he said, grabbing her hand. "This way!"

The blonde boy tugged her to follow him to the last remaining exit.

"Wait Lucas! Hold on! I'm still a bit shaky!"

"There's no time!"

Lucas led her to the door, but stopped when he noticed it start to open on it's own.

"There's someone on the other side," said Zelda.

Lucas pushed her back and stood in front of her.

"Don't worry, Zelda. I'll protect you!" he replied courageously.

Lucas really didn't know what came over him. A moment ago he was scared, for himself and for Zelda. But now, he was willing to throw his own life in the way of danger for her. He was really trying to be a hero. Lucas gave out a small squeak as the doors completely opened, followed by an all out scream.

"Ah! Stay back monster!" he cried as he hid behind Zelda's leg.

"Lucas! It's okay, look!" said Zelda.

Lucas poked his head out to see two swordsman in blue standing at the door.

"Marth? Meta Knight? You're back!" he said excitedly as he revealed himself.

"Hey guys, long time no see. Are you the only ones down here?" asked Marth.

"Urm, yes, that's all of them. Come on, let's get going," said Meta Knight hastily.

"Wait, where's Ike?" asked Zelda.

"He escaped by himself earlier. Right Meta Knight?" asked Marth as he turned to his shorter friend.

The Star Warrior hesitated again. He really hated lying about Ike's death, especially to his friends. It was almost like betraying them, in an indirect sort of way. Before the Star Warrior could speak, an ear shattering scream wrung throughout the facility; it was so loud, it drowned out the siren.

"RRRRROOOOOOOAAARRRRGGGHHHH!"

All four survivors nearly lost their feet.

"What was that?" cried Lucas.

Meta Knight was panting hard.

"No...this can't be! He's supposed to be-"

"Look out!" cried Marth as he pulled Zelda to the ground just as the ceiling collapsed.

The florescent lights on the ceiling sparked out and died, the only source of light now being from the large computer screens. A giant monster had crashed through from up above and landed in the room.

Meta Knight shook the debris off his body as he got to his feet. He looked down at Lucas to see him lying unconscious. Marth had his arm over Zelda, his body taking most of the metal shards and debris. The monster in the centre of the room was breathing hard as it turned to face the Star Warrior. Meta Knight's eyes widened in fear.

"No..."

He could recognize the creature; it was Ike. He had been completely consumed by the virus. Meta Knight could barely tell it was him by his facial features and blue hair.

Besides that, his body revealed huge muscles and red skin. His arm had been mutated into a giant claw, similar to that of a hermit crab, while his other hand looked human but was abnormally big. Large spikes sprouted from his back, making him look almost reptilian. With the addition of the spikes, he stood more than 15 feet tall, which was about as high as the ceiling itself. But the most disturbing characteristic about this monster though, would have to be the large bulging eyeball on his bare chest. Well, at least he had the decency to keep his pants on.

"META...KNIGHT..." growled the G-Virus.

Meta Knight backed up into the wall out of fear. There would be no way of defeating this thing in his current state. Marth got up and carefully pulled Zelda to her feet.

"Meta Knight. You mind telling me what the hell that thing is!?" he shouted.

The Star Warrior couldn't take it anymore. Keeping the truth bottled up inside him wasn't doing him any good at all. Plus, if they were going to die down here, they had to know the truth.

"It's Ike," said Meta Knight. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. He was infected with the G-Virus. And...it turned him into this monster..." The Star Warrior closed his eyes. "I'm...sorry..."

Zelda stared at the creature in horror.

"Ike? No...that can't be him!" she cried.

"MUST...KILL!" roared the monster again.

Ike swept his large fist at the prince and princess, forcing Marth and Zelda to duck down to avoid getting hit.

"Zelda! Leave him to us! You get Lucas to safety!" said the swordsman as he drew his Falchion.

Zelda ran to Lucas' side and picked him up, and then carried him over to a corner of the room. Meta Knight jumped to Marth's side, drawing Galaxia at the same time.

"Don't underestimate him. One wrong move could mean certain doom for the both of us," said the Star Warrior.

"I never thought I'd see the day where you and I fight side by side again," replied the prince.

"Pray this will be the last time."

"Okay."

Ike lunged with his heavy claw at the two friends, forcing them to jump away from each other. The monster's attack was so powerful, it created a large hole in the metal ground.

"YOU...BETRAYED ME!"

Marth came up form the side and slashed at Ike's arm with his sword. Although he managed to get a few clean hits, his sword barely managed to pierce the thick carapace of Ike's skin. Ikw roared again as h slammed the prince with his arm, sending him flying backward into one of the creature tubes.

"YOU ARE ALL AGAINST ME!"

Meta Knight swooped down from above and hacked at Ike's face, but did hardly any damage. The sound of Galaxia on the monsters body made a sound similar to metal clashing with metal. The G-Virus was like a suit of armor to the mutated swordsman.

"Ike! You must stop this now! Stop! You are going to kill us!" pleaded the Star Warrior.

Ike swatted him away like a fly, launching him into the wall at the same time.

"LIAR! YOU WERE AGAINST ME THE WHOLE TIME! I NEVER SHOULD HAVE TRUSTED YOU! I NEVER SHOULD HAVE TRUSTED ANYONE!"

The room was still flashing red from the sirens. None of the survivors knew exactly how long they had before the whole place exploded.

Zelda was by the door Marth and Meta Knight entered through; Lucas was in her arms. A little voice inside her body was telling her to leave and escape this horrible nightmare forever.

But something held her back.

If Ike really was the monster destroying the lab, she wanted to know why, but more importantly, she wanted to know if there was a way to stop it. She couldn't just stand by and watch her friends get torn apart by someone she used to love.

She had to get through to him.

She had to talk to him.

Marth jumped up high and slashed upward with his weapon.

"Dolphin Slash!" he shouted as he cut the eyeball on Ike's chest.

Blood spurted from the wound, but it wasn't enough to slay the beast. Ike jabbed his claw into Marht's chest while he was in mid-air, then following up by slamming him into the nearby wall. The prince of Altea was pinned down.

"Argh! Meta Knight!" he cried as blood shot out from his mouth.

The Star Warrior was quick to act. He slashed is sword across Ike's arm with all his might, forcing the monster to drop Marth to the ground.

"Ike! You have to fight the virus inside! You have to fight it!" cried Meta Knight.

Ike replied to his plea by grabbing him with his hand and slamming him into the ground. Meta Knight dropped his sword in the process.

"YOU HAVE ALWAYS BEEN AGAINST ME! YOU NEVER TRIED TO HELP ME! AND NOW YOU CRY FOR MERCY!? I AM THE GREATEST FIGHTER IN THE WORLD! NOTHING CAN STOP ME! AND NOTHING CAN KILL ME!"

Meta Knight closed his eyes as the monstrous strength of the G-Virus crushed his body into the ground.

"_I failed. I couldn't save him. I couldn't save the others. And now...I'm going to die at the hands of the very person I promised to never fight_."

These thoughts ran through Meta Knight's mind over and over again. He really did fail. No longer could he call himself the emotionless swordsman, or even a Star Warrior for that matter. To lose at the hands of this creature was like having his mask stripped off his body and letting it fall into the flames of Hell; it was humiliating. And unsurprisingly, Meta Knight was embarrassed.

"_We really are going to die down here. We truly_..."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"_Ha ha. You really are ignorant. This whole operation, the experiment, the T-Virus, this boy's infection. It was all planned from the beginning. Those fools at Umbrella underestimated my prowess. And now, you will pay the price. In my hand, I hold the cure for the T-Virus, and I hold the cure for the G-Virus. The ONLY samples that were saved from years ago. And now that they are in my possession, you will all die_!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Ike!"

The sound of her voice forced Ike to looked away from the broken swordsman beneath him. Zelda was standing in front of him, not even the slightest hint of fear in her eyes. She was crying.

"Ike. What happened to you?" she asked.

Ike didn't know how to reply. The one person whom he swore to protect, the one person who kept him fighting this whole time; she was here, right in front of his face. Ike just stared at her, his eyes wide. Was she real? Or was this just another illusion created by the G-virus?

"_You're not missing anything. You just haven't found it yet_."

"ZELDA...YOU...YOU ARE...ALIVE..."

Ike took his hand off of Meta Knight and backed away as he continued to stare at the princess. He was afraid of her response. To Ike, it felt like he had just been caught cheating on her. And the memories of his past still continued to pound at his head.

"_Could we...maybe...have one more dance_?"

His head was splitting in two. On the one side, his princess whom he wished to save, but on the other, the virus that wanted him for itself.

"_We survived the great battle of Subspace! We fought through the torment of Raccoon City! And we lived to tell our story! Ladies and gentlemen, we are fighters! We were born to live life the way we want! And no one__-__-NO ONE__-__-can take that right away from us__!_"

Memories pierced his corrupted mind like a thousand knives.

"_My life up until this point has just been one long game. And I'm still waiting for a Game Over._"

"ZELDA...I...WANT TO PROTECT YOU..."

"_You've always been like that. Always thinking about others before yourself. You would be more than glad to throw yourself in the way of a speeding semi truck to protect a young child wandering in the street. That's what I like about you, Ike. It's..what I've always loved about you_."

"Ike, please! You have to fight the virus' power!"

"_After we've destroyed this place, and we've killed everyone here, we'll leave. We will go somewhere far away, and we will show the world the unstoppable power that is the G-Virus. Just you and me. Together. Forever_."

Ike couldn't control himself anymore. He fell backwards onto the cold ground and starting grabbing at his head. The virus was still trying to regain control of him.

"NO! LEAVE ME ALONE! I DON'T WANT ANYMORE! JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!"

"_You didn't do anything wrong, Ike. Don't cry_." "Destroy the virus Ike! You have to destroy it!"

"_It's okay. As long as you're here, I feel safe. Don't leave me again like that_."

"IT'S TOO MUCH!"

"_I'm very sorry it has to end like this. You probably really hate me now. Don't worry, I won't be causing you any more trouble. I will not be controlling your actions anymore. Everything you do from here on in, is by your own word. Again, I'm sorry for all the pain I have caused you and your friends, and I pray to God that you will forgive me_."

Ike was officially immobilized by the rush of memories and feelings. Zelda's cries had broken through to him, but the virus still attempted to maintain control.

In all the commotion, Meta Knight sprang to his feet.

"_I despise the color blue. I despise it more than I despise red_."

The Star Warrior jumped onto Ike's fallen mass, the eyeball on his chest staring up at him evilly. This was the final test. Meta Knight pulled out the purple needle and slammed it down into the red eye. Immediately, he was thrown of, his mask falling from his face in the process.

The last thing he remembered hearing was the faint sound of Zelda's cry.


	19. Fate

After Dark: The Mansion Incident

**Author's Note:** Thanks again to everyone who reviewed (especially you Random Flamer, I got a real laugh out of yours). Oh, that reminds me, if you guys have anything negative to say about this story, please leave reasons why. Any flames I receive for no particular reason will be ignored and I will take them as mere jokes. So, if you think my writing sucks, and you feel like enlightening me, give specific reasons as to how I may improve. Thank you.

For those who haven't reviewed and would like to, the deal is still on. I won't tell you what it is because you should know it by now.

And here's the next chapter, which is, quite possibly, the shortest one in the story.

-

Chapter 19: Fate

Darkness. Everywhere.

"Where...where am I? Am...I dead?"

"_Dead? You don't know how much I wish it was so_."

"Huh?"

"_I have been defeated. You won the battle_."

"Battle? What battle? I can barely remember anything... My head is killing me."

"_You do not have to fret about my presence anymore. My essence has been extinguished from your mind. You are now a free man_."

"Really? As good as that sounds...I just...I don't understand. How did this happen?"

"_Oddly enough, you didn't do anything_."

"But you said-"

"_Friends_."

"What?"

"_You're friends saved you, boy. They saved you from the evil of the G-Virus_."

"Who did?"

"_Meta Knight and Zelda. Two whom you care about with all your heart. They saved you_."

"They did? Even after I...I hurt them? And...oh my God. I betrayed them. My friends..."

"_Do not cry. There is nothing you should be sad about. I have been killed_."

"You have?"

"_Yes. Even as we speak, the last of my body is being depleted from your system. You have been cured_."

"I've been cured..."

"_Yes_."

"And I was saved by my friends..."

"_Yes_."

"And no one died?..."

"_Not that I'm aware of_."

"Then...then I really did win."

"_Yes you did_."

"My plan...it really did work."

"_Your plan? You did not have a plan. I would have foreseen it if you were plotting against me_."

"Nope. I came up with this plan all by myself. I knew in my heart that they would pull through for me. And they did. The cards were in my favor the whole time."

"_I see. That is ingenious. I...never would have seen that coming. Truly, you know how to think on your feet_."

"It comes naturally."

"_Indeed. As much as I hate to admit it, my time is up. Good-bye, Ike. I won't be coming back. Ever_."

"I know. And I'm glad for it. Though, I'll admit, we did have some good times."

"_Hm. Yes, we sure did didn't we? I wish I could remember you, but I am not going to Heaven, nor Hell. There is already a place reserved for me after death. It's called oblivion_."

"I understand. I...I'll never forget you. I believe I've learned a very valuable life lesson from all this."

"_Do tell, while my light still glistens_."

"You've taught me that...I never needed any of that power. I never needed anything more or less than what I already have. I have my friends. I have my life. And in life...that truly is all that matters. From lowly peasants to rich kings, we are all the same on the inside; just people looking for a place where they belong. And...thanks to you...I've found my place...my place is by my friends' side. By Zelda's side."

"..."

"Are...are you still there?"

"..."

"No...It's gone..."

"..."

"I'm all alone..."

"..."

Light enters from up above. And horrifying reality reveals itself for the first time.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

After a brief struggle, Ike finally opened his eyes, and rejoined his friends among the living. Zelda immediately embraced when she realized he was alive.

"Oh Ike! You're okay! You're alive!" she cried.

The swordsman nearly fell back from her forceful hug. He and her were both on the floor of a laboratory which looked like it had been completely turned upside down. Shards of glass, rock and paper scattered the floor everywhere. Tables and there were several holes in the ground. Even one of the tubes containing the monsters had been cracked; coolant liquid was oozing out of it.

Ike's memories were still faint, but he could feel himself regaining control of his body.

He was human again.

"Zelda..." he said as he looked at her.

She looked up at him and their eyes met.

"Yes...Ike..." she replied.

Ike looked down at his body to find himself completely naked except for his pants. His chest had several cuts and wounds across it. He gave a sigh of relief when he saw that the eyeball was gone. The only evidence left of the G-Virus was the small pin hole embedded into the centre of his chest. The vial that contained the cure was broken and off to the side.

"I'm so...tired..." he muttered as he slouched onto her.

Zelda grabbed his arm and brought him to his feet.

"I can't believe you survived. It's a miracle," she said.

"Who?..."

"Meta Knight. He saved you. He risked his life to deliver the cure."

"Where is he?"

A moaning sound was heard near the exit. Meta Knight was on the ground, struggling to get to his feet. Galaxia was on the ground in front of him, bloodstained. His cracked mask lay at his feet. He looked up with white eyes to see the two survivors coming toward him.

"Ah! Don't look at me!" said the Star Warrior as he scrambled to the ground to retrieve his mask.

Ike wasn't even paying attention to Meta Knight's true face. All he wanted was a thanks.

After Meta Knight put on his mask and holstered his sword, he cleared his throat.

"Ahem. Sorry," he said.

Ike smirked.

"It's okay. It's good to see that you are still alive," he replied.

"Likewise."

"Meta Knight, you almost blacked out when you were thrown off," said Zelda.

"What?"

"When you injected Ike with the cure, you slammed into the wall and lost consciousness. I...I thought you were dead, so I screamed..."

"Hm. I see. Do not worry. We are all fine now. Wait, where's Marth and Lucas?"

"Right over here."

The Altean prince emerged from a pile of rubble and limped over to the survivors.

"Hey Ike. How've you been?"

"Good. Where's Lucas?"

"I'm over here."

Everyone turned to see the blonde boy stumbling across the room to meet them. He had been wounded bad from the falling rubble as he was bleeding in several different spots. Meta Knight immediately went over to help him stand.

"Are you alright, Lucas?" he asked.

"Yes Meta Knight. I'm fine," he replied with a smile.

"Boy Ike, you sure gave us a scare. We thought there wasn't going to be any way of saving you," said Marth.

"Really?" replied Ike.

"Yeah. It was thanks to Zelda that we were able to save you."

Ike looked at the Hylian holding him. Marth was right; it was Zelda who had saved him.

"I...I remember hearing your voice, Zelda. And...all my memories came back to me..."

She smiled.

"I knew that would be the only way to make you come back to your senses."

"I know this sounds lame and all...but...I'm glad you guys were here to help me...without you I don't know what I woud-"

"_Warning! The self-destruct system has been activated. All personnel must evacuate immediately. Repeat, all personnel must evacuate immediately_."

Ike's eyes widened in shock.

"There's no time for that now! We have to get out of here!" shouted Meta Knight as he grabbed Lucas and ran for the door.

Ike had just realized that there had been a siren going off the whole time.

This had been part of Umbrella's plan. If Ivan wasn't going to get out of here alive, neither were any of they. Wait, that's not what he said in the letter...

"Let's go!" said Marth as he ran out the door with Lucas and the Star Warrior.

"Can you walk on your own?" asked Zelda.

Ike winced at the sudden pain in his body.

"Ugh, no. I can't. It hurts so much," he replied.

"Okay, then you better hold on."

Zelda moved as quickly as she could out of the lab with Ike by her side. The other three were already at the elevator to go up.

"Come on! Come on!" shouted Marth as he waved his hand.

"You could help me you know!" replied Zelda from down the hall.

Marth gave in and ran back out to pick up his friend. He carried Ike into the elevator on his back.

"Is everyone on?" asked Meta Knight.

"Yes! Now hit the button!"

The door closed and the elevator made it's way up to the next level.

The five survivors were panting hard. They were all exhausted form the previous events. Zelda was strong enough not to pass out though. Meta Knight had asked Lucas if he wanted to be carried, but he refused. Even though they were close to death, they still had the fighting spirit in them.

"Ike, stop drooling on my neck!" shouted Marth.

"Oh, sorry. I'm just so tired..."

Soon enough, the door opened, and the survivors made their way into the T-shaped hall. They all stopped at the new sound of a computerized voice. The buzzing had stopped but the sirens still shined.

"_Warning! 10 minutes until detonation! All personnel must evacuate immediately_!"

"10 minutes. Come on everyone! There is still time!" said Meta Knight as he led the way through the halls.

Lucas and Zelda ran up behind him while Marth and Ike followed up the rear.

Ike was having a hard time grasping what was going on. Everything was moving so fast. he saw various colors and shapes pass by his eyes, but he couldn't even comprehend what they were.

"Marth, I think I'm gonna be sick..." he muttered.

Marth kept his focus on the Smashers leading the way.

"Just don't puke on me. Hang tight, we're almost in the next hall," he replied.

Meta Knight sprang into the square hall and made his way around the corner, followed by the others respectively. He knew exactly where they had to go in order to escape the complex.

"If we keep heading this way, we'll find the staircase. From there, we should be able to locate the elevator leading to the emergency exit," he said.

"I know where that is too!" replied Lucas.

As they ran, they could feel the ground shaking beneath them. It was quite strange considering they still had 8 minutes to go.

"What's that sound?" asked Zelda as she went up the stairs.

"I'm not sure. We must hurry while we still have time!" replied Meta Knight as he made it to the top and rounded the corner.

This was it.

The final door until freedom.

The room with the elevator they sought was just up ahead.

The rumbling was getting uncontrollably louder now, as if something was coming for them from up above. Meta Knight stopped running and put his hands out to block Lucas and Zelda. Marth stopped right behind him.

"What's the hold up!?" shouted Marth from the back.

"Something is coming," replied the Star Warrior.

The ground was shaking violently now; rocks and rubble started to fall from the ceiling too. If it wasn't the result of the self-destruct mechanism, it only meant on thing...

"Everybody down!"

The ceiling collapsed and a large figure appeared in the room, cutting off Marth and Ike from the rest of the survivors. The dark bio-soldier peered around, searching for any survivors. Mr. X had returned.

Lucas stumbled back in fear.

"No! He's back!" he cried.

Meta Knight didn't even have time to draw his sword as he was soon sent flying from a hard punch. The Star Warrior collided with the far wall, creating a large imprint where he had struck it.

The bio-soldier immediately turned to Lucas who shrieked in fear. He tried conjuring up a PK Freeze, but was too frozen by fear to move. Zelda quickly stepped in front of him.

"Stay back!" she shouted as she threw Din's Fire at the monster.

Mr. X absorbed the flame attack like it was nothing and charged at the princess with incredible speed. The force of the attack knocked both her and Lucas into the wall next to the Star Warrior.

"Marth...Put me down...I got to...save them..." said Ike almost passing out.

Marth put down his friend and drew his Falchion.

"No Ike, you can't fight. Let me destroy it," he said.

"No! It will kill you!"

But it was too late. Marth had already ran up to Mr. X while his back was turned. His sword attacks managed to cut a few holes in his trench coat, but besides that, Mr. X remained untouched. He quickly grabbed the swordsman by the neck and tossed him onto the pile of other Smashers.

"Ike! Get away!" shouted Marth.

Mr. X started walking towards the weakened Smashers to finish the job. He had forgotten about Ike.

Slowly, Ike rose to his feet, cursing to himself.

"_This can't be how it ends. They mustn't die...for my sake_..."

Using up what strength he had left, Ike shouted.

"Hey! I'm the one you want!"

Mr. X turned at the sound of his voice almost mechanically. Although his eyes were as white as his skin, Ike couldn't help but notice the bio-soldier grin at him. Ike watched helplessly as the monster stomped over to him.

"Ike! Run!" screamed Zelda.

It was no use though.

The Smashers were all immobilized, and Ike was completely vulnerable.

Aggressively, Mr. X grabbed the swordsman's neck and raised him up into the air, attempting to choke the living out of him. Ike barely put up a struggle as he kicked and fought, but to no avail. He could feel a stinging sensation in his chest, as if someone had driven a screwdriver through him.

"_I'm sorry...everyone...Please forgive me...I nevr wanted any of this to happen_..."

Ike opened his cold blue eyes and stared into Mr. X's white face. He could see his own reflection in the bio-soldier's iris'. He could see the reflection of the most powerful warrior in the world.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_The sound of a scratchy moan brought Ike and Captain Falcon to attention. They were standing in a dark courtyard. A courtyard that had been transformed into a graveyard. All around them amongst the tall grass stood tomb stones, all of them bearing the names of different people. A lone zombie stood in the grass staring into space. It didn't seem to notice the two survivors walk out. The sound of the metal door closing caused the monster to turn around. Ike and Falcon just stood at the top of the stone stairs and watched the zombie approach them. _

_"What do we do about that guy?" asked Ike. _

_"We do what we did to the last one," replied Captain Falcon. "But I'm short enough on bullets as it is." _

_"I'll try the sword again." _

_"Aim for the head. That is the most vulnerable spot." _

_"Gotcha." _

_The zombie crept up the small stairs to the survivors waiting at the top. Ike readied his weapon. When the monster lunged at him, Ike attacked. He slashed sideways across the throat. The zombie's head flew clean off and tumbled down the stairs. The body stood still for a few seconds before falling to the ground, creating a pool of blood around it. Ike tapped his bloody sword on the ground. _

_"Not too difficult," he said calmly. _

_"No, they're not. Let's keep going. We're bound to find something out here." _

_The two walked down the stairs and started to explore their new surroundings. Ike examined a bunch of tombstones that were tightly grouped together, but found nothing. Falcon was checking out the metal fence on the other side. _

_"Hey, I just realized something," he said from across the courtyard. _

_"What's that?" _

_"The rain stopped." _

_Ike looked up at the sky. True, the rain had ceased, but the black clouds still remained to cover the night air. It was still cold out. _

_"That is strange," commented Ike. He went deeper into the graveyard. After passing by some more graves, Ike found himself standing in front of of a massive tombstone that towered over his head. The picture of an angel holding a bow and arrow was embedded into the stone. "Hey Falcon, look at this," he called to his friend. _

_"What is it?" asked the racer as he came up from behind. _

_"It looks like something goes there." Ike pointed to the arrow head of the angel's weapon. There was a little grove where the arrow head should be. "It's missing a piece." _

_"You don't think we're supposed to put something there do you?" _

_"I don't know. Ivan did mention something about puzzles earlier. This may have been what he was talking about. This could lead to a secret entrance beneath this tomb." _

_"Maybe. But we don't know for sure. Let's head back inside. There's nothing left out here." _

_"Okay." _

_Both of them walked back through the metal door and into the mansion. _

_"I swear, this place gets creepier and creepier the more we stay here," said Falcon. _

_Ike did not reply. He just wanted to get out of here. But in order to do that, he would have to find all his friends. He did the math in his head. _

_Ike turned to his partner. _

_"We may have to split up if we're going to find them all on time," he said. _

_Captain Falcon raised an eyebrow beneath his helmet. _

_"Split up? That's crazy. If we split up there's a better chance for us to get killed." _

_"Yes, but at the same time there's a better chance for us to find everyone. Get what I'm saying?" _

_"Yeah. But I still think it's crazy." _

_"It may be the only chance we have of saving them. We can cover more ground if we split up." _

_"I'm willing to go my own way, only if you promise not to get yourself killed." _

_"I promise if you promise." _

_"Deal." _

_They both shook hands. _

_"I will cover the west side, while you take the east," said the swordsman. _

_"Okay. Be careful." _

_"You too." _

_They both walked in opposite directions up the two stairs on either side. _

_"Hey Ike." _

_"Yeah?" _

_"If you ever get yourself into trouble, give me a holler. I'll be there." _

_"Okay. Thanks." _

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

As the last of his memories emptied themselves, Ike's eyes immediately shot open. Mr. X just smiled at him eagerly. He was not at all fazed by Ike's reaction; it was going to be over soon. Using the last of his breath, Ike cried out into the musty air, hoping that his final prayers would be answered.

"FALCON!"

He choked on that last syllable, but it was still audible otherwise. Dead silence settled in the area, causing the other Smashers to freeze. Lucas and Meta Knight felt even more bad because they knew the truth about Captain Douglas Falcon.

"Falcon..."

Ike's eyes closed and the world started to go dark. His last hopes of survival were gone. And the promise that he and Falcon made in the beginning was no more.

Suddenly, the sound of a familiar voice boomed over the room.

"Hey ugly!"

Mr. X and Ike glanced down the hall by the exit. A lone figure was standing there with a magnum revolver locked and loaded.

Captain Falcon gave a slick smirk.

"Feast on this!"

He pulled the trigger and the bullet was released. Mr. X was impaled right through the head, causing metal and brain matter to fly out into the air. Ike was dropped to the ground, and Mr. X collapsed in a heap.

Falcon blew the barrel of his smoking gun and holstered it proffessionally.

"Miss me?" he said as he walked over to the Smashers.

Zelda and Marth got up to bring Ike to his feet. Meta Knight and Lucas were in complete disbelief. Actually, the more closer Falcon got them, the more embarrassed they felt on the inside. Falcon stood tall and offered his hand to the Star Warrior.

"Hey there. How ya doing?" he asked casually.

Meta Knight stared at his dirty glove before shaking hands.

"I should be asking you the same thing," he replied.

Falcon stuck his chin up and laughed.

"Ha! No lecture on how to fight like a man? Did you get hit in the head or something?"

"In a manner of speaking."

Lucas came over and embraced the tall racer's leg.

"Captain Falcon! You came back for us!" he said thankfully.

He no longer felt suspicious of Falcon. He felt gracious for his return, as well as a bit overwhelmed; he started to cry again.

"Whoa little buddy! No need to get touchy now! We have a job to finish!"

"Too right we do," said Ike.

Falcon turned to the swordsman who was being held up by Marth and Zelda.

"I didn't think you would be keeping your word, Falcon. You really are a mystery."

Meta Knight rolled his eyes.

"Aw, shucks, thanks man! Hey your lucky I just happened to be strolling by. There's no way I would have found you down here if you didn't call for me," replied Falcon.

"All part of the plan."

"Heh heh."

Zelda looked down at the body of Mr. X. A pool of blood was creeping around his head. She tore her attention away from the scene and back to her friends.

"Wow, Falcon you really are a crack shot with that," she commented.

"Ah, I just love getting praised! What about you Marth? Got anything you want to say about my heroic rescue?" asked the racer.

Marth rolled his eyes.

"In case you've all forgotten, THIS WHOLE DAMN PLACE IS ABOUT TO BLOW!" he shouted.

Everyone was soon reminded of the flashing sirens on the ceiling.

"_Warning! 5 minutes until detonation! All personnel must evacuate immediately_!"

Falcon flinched in his boots.

"What the hell?! No one told me about this!" he cried.

Ike cleared his throat.

"I don't know who triggered the self-destruct mechanism, but it doesn't matter anymore. We need to get out of here now."

Everyone looked over at Falcon who quickly regained his manly posture.

"Oh, uh, I see. Well, then allow me to lead the way!" he said.

"That would be good considering the rest of us are nearly bleeding to death right now!" replied Marth.

"Ah, point taken..." Falcon adjusted his view in the helmet and cleared his throat. "Alright gang! Let's get the hell out of here!"


	20. Clyde's Intentions

After Dark: The Mansion Incident

**Author's Note:** I wanna thank my two newest reviewers for their feedback/comments; Souldin and drizzt the swordmaster. Your reviews are most appreciated and I'll be sure to mention you in the EXTRAS chapter. Also, thanks to all my other reviewers. It feels really rewarding to get all these emails every time I post a chapter. THANK YOU ALL!

The following is a review reply to Fan From The Start. To those to who it may interest, you are welcome to read it.

Fan From The Start,

Thanks for reviewing. I was starting to think you had ditched the story because you didn't review the other two chapters, but lo and behold, here you are. I'm glad to see you are enjoying this story as much as the other readers. I have been getting questions from reviewers about the whereabouts of Lucario and Pit. Don't worry, they aren't in the mansion, but thy aren't with the other Smashers either. Where could they have gone? I guess you'll have to wait for the next story to find out! And I'm glad your liking the romance bits too, even though I suck at understanding the inner feelings of the female heart. Serious. Anyways, yeah, Falcon did kill Mr. X with the most coolest gun the game, but your little prediction just may come true; Mr. X may still be alive. I'll leave you to discover the truth for yourself. Thanks a million for the reviews! Adios!

-

Chapter 20: Clyde's Intentions

When it comes to life and death, one has the option of choosing between two theories of beliefs: Religion and Science. Ask any striving scientist about what happens after death, and the first thing they'll say is, "Nothing. Life is merely a cycle that goes on and on. However, each of us must face the end of it sooner or later." From an educational point of view, death indeed does seem like _the great leveler._ In truth, it is the main reason why people choose to hold onto religion in hopes that there really is a life after death. Now, everyone has his/her opinion about what the afterlife is like. Even Greek scholars dating back hundreds of years have pondered the great mystery that is death. Some believe that people are reincarnated as animals, forced to spend an entire lifetime grazing about grasslands until their time comes to an end once again. Others say that we move on to some other universe, enriched by a completely new lifestyle and surrounded by thousands of others who share the same fate. But maybe you don't believe in any of that crap.

Maybe you are like Ike, questioning your faith; you don't exactly know what you should believe in.

"Can't you guys move any faster?! I would have made it all the way back to the mansion by now!"

The five Smashers behind him ignored Falcon's arrogant comment. He sure picked a hell of a time to be cracking jokes. He didn't even consider the fact that Ike could barely even walk on his own legs; Zelda and Marth had to carry him.

Meta Knight and Lucas were closer to the front, but Falcon still had a huge lead on them.

By the time Ike had passed through the metal door, Falcon was already at the elevator on the other side of the room. And still he kept shouting at them like it was the end of the world. Although, that analogy wasn't too far off course.

"Come on Ike! We have to keep moving!" said Marth as he stumbled with the weight of the other swordsman on his shoulder.

Ike winced with his reply.

"I'm trying, man! You could at least give me some slack," he said sharply.

"Don't worry, we're almost there. Just a little more," said Zelda from the side.

Meta Knight and Lucas ran into the elevator with Falcon. The siren was still going off, painting the small room a bright shade of red. Ike felt like he was about to have a seizure.

Falcon waved his hands furiously in the air.

"Come on! Come on! Come on!" he shouted.

If it was one thing everyone knew about Captain Falcon, it was his uncanny ability to act impatient.

"Will you just relax! I can't concentrate with all this yelling!" said Ike.

After a few limps and a stumble, Ike, Zelda and Marth made it to the elevator, where Falcon slammed his fist on the button to activate it. Lucas was actually worried the mechanism wouldn't be able to support all their combined weight; that and the fact that he barely had any elbow room.

"Falcon! Get your ass out of my face!" shouted Meta Knight as he shoved the racer right into the edge of the railing.

"I would if Marth would give me some space to stand!" replied the racer obnoxiously.

"Stop fooling around! There's not much time left!" said Zelda.

The elevator rose up one level; the Smashers were back in the room with the emergency exit and the ladder leading up to the surface. Unsurprisingly, the emergency door was already open.

"There it is! Let's move!" said Falcon as he jumped out of the transport while it was still in motion.

Everyone else waited for it to come to a complete stop before stepping off--rather hastily mind you. Before anyone knew what happened, Falcon had already disappeared into freedom.

"Ike, can you walk on your own?" asked Meta Knight as he headed for the exit.

Ike did not try to break free from Marth and Zelda's grasp.

"I could. But, I don't want to risk slowing you down. Don't worry, I'll make it," he said confidently.

"Hm."

The Smashers went together through the exit. The Star Warrior and the boy did not run up ahead to their speedy friend. They weren't going to leave Ike behind again.

The dark hall flashed a provocative red, revealing a long path leading past a collection of wiring and pipes. The floor had somehow turned into some kind of clean metallic grating, suggesting that very few people have used this escape route. At the end of the hall, Falcon was standing by a closed elevator door, again waving his hands.

"Will you guys come on!" he shouted.

Marth was about to reply rudely, but held it back. He didn't have the energy to be wasting his breath.

Soon enough, the Smashers made it to the end, where Falcon then opened the door to the elevator. This elevator was different from the previous one; it looked as though it belonged in an apartment building.

"Took you long enough," said Falcon as he stepped in.

"Why don't you stay back and help us?" Meta Knight asked calmly.

"I got to makes sure there aren't any monsters. Can you imagine running into another zombie down here?"

In any normal case, Meta Knight would have agreed with Falcon's statement. True, you could never be too careful when dealing with Umbrella's experiments. But now, the Star Warrior was a changed being. His priority was to his friends, not his honor as a swordsman.

"There are no zombies down here, Falcon," replied Meta Knight hastily.

"You keep telling yourself that, buddy," replied Falcon as he checked to make sure everyone was on.

With a nod okay, Captain Falcon hit the button to go up. The Smashers felt themselves being lifted up to ground level. At long last, freedom was finally within their reach.

"_Warning! 3 minutes until detonation! All personnel must evacuate immediately_!"

The elevator came to a stop and the door opened. The Smashers were overwhelmed by a burst of sunlight, causing them all (even Falcon) to cover their eyes.

They were standing in an enclosed area of the courtyard. A tall metal wall surrounded the vicinity, along with a polished floor to match. Several chopper supplies and equipment lay scattered around the entire area, revealed by the morning sun. A lone black helicopter with the Umbrella logo painted on the side was parked in the center of the courtyard. A lone soldier stood next to it, examining the outside to make sure it was in top flying order. Once his view cleared, Lucas recognized the masked man instantly.

"Clyde!" he said as he ran over to his friend.

"Wait Lucas get back here!" shouted Falcon.

Meta Knight put an arm in front of him.

"It's okay. That soldier is our friend," he said seriously.

Clyde jumped at the sound of his voice and turned around to see the little blonde boy run up to him.

"Oh! Lucas, I didn't see you there," he said. "Did you manage to save Zelda?"

"Yep! She's right here!"

The other Smashers approached the two friends.

"Wow, you really did save them. Unbelievable."

Clyde walked up to Ike and offered his hand. Ike hesitated before shaking hands.

"Uh..." started the swordsman.

"Look, Ike. I'm very sorry for everything that's happened. I'm just glad that you're safe from the virus. You should consider yourself lucky to be alive," said the soldier.

"Oh, don't worry. I am."

"Good."

"So, is this our escape route?" asked Marth as he gestured toward the chopper.

"Yes. Your other friends were evacuated a few minutes ago via another chopper. This is your ticket home," replied Clyde.

"Well then let's get out of here! We only got a few minutes to go!" said Falcon as he opened the door and jumped in.

Clyde nodded.

"He's right. There isn't much time left before this installation is destroyed. Right this way, milady," said the soldier as he took Zelda's hand and helped her into the chopper.

"Thank you," she replied.

"Come on, Ike!"

Clyde was about to help Ike into the transport, but he was interrupted by a loud rumbling sound. The ground below them was shaking.

"What the hell is that?" asked Clyde, glancing around.

Suddenly, the ground by the elevator exploded, and a tall figure in grey leaped up to the surface. The creature resembled the figure of a human, tall, muscular and intimidating. A large hole could be seen in the side of it's head.

"Mr. X!? He's back!" shouted Lucas as he ran to the chopper and attempted to climb in.

Clyde immediately drew his SMG and braced himself.

"Shit! I thought that thing was dead!" he said.

Mr. X glanced at the escaping survivors and started walking towards them, shaking the ground violently with each passing step. Clyde immediately started firing off round after round at the beast.

"Stay back! Monster!" he cried.

The bullet's ricocheted off of Mr. X's armor and hit the ground like they were made out of plastic. The bio-soldier continued walking towards them, ignoring the bullets like they were mosquitoes. Clyde stopped firing.

"Dammit! It's not working! Someone start the chopper!"

As if on cue, Falcon got into the pilot's seat and turned on the main engine. Meta Knight and Marth drew their sword's and stepped in front of Ike.

"We will protect you," said the prince confidently.

"No! You mustn't get close to it! It'll rip you apart!" said Clyde as he stepped in front of the swordsmen. "This thing can only be destroyed with fire."

"We don't have to fight it! We can get away!" said Ike as he went over to the chopper. Zelda helped him up into the compartment. "Come on!"

"No, it won't matter. Even if we do escape, Mr. X will just follow us and hunt us down. Someone has to stay behind and make sure he dies by the explosion," said Clyde.

At that, Meta Knight and Marth lowered their weapons and glanced at him.

"Clyde..." started Meta Knight.

"You all get out of here! Get out of here now!" shouted Clyde as he tried to yell over the sound of the chopper blades.

He started firing off more of his useless weapon, attempting to slow down the bio-soldier. Unfortunately, they were still ineffective.

Marth concurred and hopped into the helicopter, waiting by the door to help in Meta Knight. The Star Warrior did not move, but continued to stare at the Umbrella soldier.

"Clyde, you don't have to do this," he said as he holstered his weapon.

"I told you to just go! Let me kill this monster!" replied Clyde as he shoved Meta Knight with his leg.

Meta Knight did not react, but paused. He pulled out the full canteen of kerosine and examined it before looking back at the soldier.

"Take this," said the Star Warrior as he shoved the canteen into Clyde's side.

Clyde stopped firing and received the container.

"Hm. Thanks. Now go!" he said.

Meta Knight nodded and jumped into the chopper. Zelda ran up to Falcon who was waiting in the pilot's seat.

"Get out of here!" she cried.

"Wait! What about-"

"We have to leave him! Come on!"

Falcon nodded hastily and pulled the lever. The helicopter soon lifted up and hovered above the ground.

Clyde tossed the canteen up and down in his hand while glaring at the advancing Mr. X. The bio-soldier was less than twenty feet from his position.

"Alright, ugly. Let's dance!" he shouted as he chucked the kerosine in front of the monster.

He fired off his SMG at the can, causing a massive explosion in front of Mr. X. The creature stumbled back from the blast, giving Clyde an open spot to charge him.

"_Warning! Detonation in 10 seconds_!"

Lucas saw Clyde running away from the chopper, heading towards Mr. X and his doom.

"Clyde! Come back!" he cried.

But it was no use. His voice could not be heard over the sound of the chopper. The blonde boy almost fell out the open door, but was held back by Meta Knight just in time.

"We cannot help him. He has chosen his fate," said the Star Warrior.

Lucas' eyes soon flooded with tears.

"Oh Meta Knight!" he wailed.

The Star Warrior flinched as the boy's cold hands embraced him.

"Get us out of here!" shouted Marth as he jumped into the co-pilot seat.

Falcon fumbled around with the controls.

"Give me a second!"

"There's no time!"

Suddenly, the sirens stopped, but only for a split second. Because following that, a massive explosion triggered in the laboratory. The entire facility, mansion and all, exploded in a mass of flame and wood. Luckily, Falcon managed to take off just in time, but he was barely out of the explosion's range.

"CLYDE!" cried Lucas again.

Meta Knight held him as he looked down at the flaming building. All around them, a maze of forestry covered the area, while a stack of mountains covered the east.

If Clyde had cried out in pain, no one would have been able to hear him.

The chopper started to bounce around from the shock of the explosion. After some struggling with the controls, Falcon managed to level it off fine. There was a moment of silence here as he took in all the events that had just happened.

Marth's heart was beating a million miles a minute as he sat braced in his seat.

"Did...Are...Are we dead?" he asked, a bit shaken up.

Falcon froze before revealing a thin smile on his face.

"We're not dead..." he said. "We're alive and kickin' baby!" Falcon threw his fists into the air and started cheering. "WE'RE ALIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIVVVVVVE!"

Lucas was still crying on the floor.

Meta Knight helped him up and brought him over to the seat by Ike and Zelda. They were both staring out the window as a large mushroom cloud rose up into the sky. Meta Knight sat Lucas down next to the Hylian princess who put a comforting arm around him.

"Lucas. We did it. We're finally free," she said thankfully.

Ike was slouching in the seat next to her, his legs shaking.

"Man...I feel so...tired..." he muttered.

Meta Knight walked over to the door and shut it, folding himself in his cape soon after. He turned around and glanced at his friends. All of them looked pretty beaten up. It had just occurred to him that this was the only time he actually had a good look at them.

Lucas was shivering in his seat, a charred scarf covering his forehead. His shirt was torn up a bit and his shoes were nearly black. The cuts and bruises on his skin didn't help much either.

Zelda was in a slightly better condition as her clothes seemed to have sustained more damage than her actual body. However, her skin was still a sickly pale.

Ike was in critical condition, having open wounds and cuts all over his entire body. The Star Warrior hadn't even realized this when they were escaping the complex.

Instinctively, he reached into one of the overhead compartments and pulled out a first aid kit, which he handed to Zelda.

"He needs to be healed," said the Star Warrior plainly as he walked over to the cockpit.

Zelda looked at the medical supplies in her hand, and over to the swordsman next to her. Ike's eyes were closed; he could have very well been sleeping. Hesitantly, she opened the kit and started working on his beaten body.

"Zombies. Dogs. Crows. Man eating frogs. Pink lizards. Tyrants. Nuclear explosions. Man, when it comes to disasters, we've seen 'em all haven't we?" said Falcon as he leaned back in his seat.

Marth hesitated before replying.

"Yeah. You seem rather calm about this. we could have died down there, you know," replied the Altean prince.

"Yeah I know! That's some crazy-ass shit right there! Crazy-ass shit!"

"Never mind."

Meta Knight walked in from behind. At first, he didn't say anything. He was too mesmerized by the morning sun in the distance. It quickly created a warm atmosphere inside the helicopter. For now, this was their safe haven.

"Ahem," he started as he approached the racer from behind.

"Oh!" Falcon glanced at his friend, but quickly turned his view back out the main viewer.

"Hey Meta Knight! How ya doing?"

"Pretty good actually. Be sure to fly at a reasonable level. Lucas and Ike may be feeling a little light headed back there."

"Sure thing."

"How is Ike anyway?" asked Marth. "Is he okay?"

"Yes. He's fine. He's bleeding, but Zelda's patching him up right now," replied the Star Warrior.

"Hey that sounds like a good idea! Why don't you take the wheel, why I go back there and grab a bandage?" asked Falcon.

"You barely have any scratches on your body. You would be the last person in need of a First Aid Spray."

"Hey! I got to watch out for myself!"

"Don't we know it..." muttered Marth.

"Hey. Watch it, 'princess'." Meta Knight chuckled as he ruffled his cape a bit. He looked back out at the rising sun before turning back into the main compartment to go check on Lucas.

The Umbrella chopper flew to the west, back across Canada and across the vast ocean. Meta Knight couldn't believe the situation that was presented before him.

Finally, they were all going home.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_"Ivan. This is what you wanted right? You wanted me to save them all. _

_And that's exactly what I did. _

_Look. I know that your intentions were for me to escape with them, but I just couldn't risk it. Had I not stayed back to fend off the G-Virus, none of us would have been able to escape the mansion alive. And then what would have happened to your experiments? They would have all gone to waste. But still...I'm glad that I was able to save them. I'm glad that...I was able to meet a man as kind as you. _

_I know that you are always saying how evil men should be punished for their crimes against the world. But to me, you never were an evil man. _

_You were pure. _

_You were a scientist. _

_You were a gentleman, and a very honorable on at that. _

_You know when fate has taken its turn. You know the consequences of your actions, and you are always willing to accept them, just like my brother. I just can't keep this from you any longer. _

_Ivan...I loved you. I loved you like a father. You were the closest thing to a parent that I ever had. It was Umbrella that adopted me and Van when our parents were killed by the T-Virus. And, although I hated Umbrella from the very bottom of my heart, I couldn't turn against them. As a man, I swore I would bring justice into the world. You taught me that Umbrella wasn't all evil; they are just trying to help humanity. You taught me about all the wonders of the world. You are also the one who granted me my very first firearm, and I still use it to this very day. _

_If only you could understand what you mean to me. I never wanted to disappoint you. I only wanted to make you happy. And if helping these strange-looking-people was the ticket to leaving you at peace, I gladly went through with it. But not only that, but you taught me to have respect for others. A man cannot drift through life hating people. To do so...it just destroys you on the inside. _

_I don't want to be like that. _

_I want people to remember me for the heroic deeds I did. I have a feeling that Ike will never forget this event, regardless of the fact he barely even met me personally. But that never was my intention in the beginning. _

_As long as you have passed on peacefully, I know that I have done my job, and Umbrella will continue to do theirs. I can now rest in peace knowing that I have done the right thing. _

_Good-bye Ivan. I'm going to go see my brother. He and I have a lot of catching up to do."_

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

As the seemingly endless Atlantic Ocean passed by underneath me, I couldn't help but smirk at the distant red sun. I couldn't even bring the words to speak. Albert Wesker was finally dead.

No longer did the trauma of Rockfort Island sting at my mind.

No longer did the events in Kijiju stab at my aching heart.

No longer did the Mansion Incident seem significant.

I am Chris Redfield, Umbrella's biggest pain in the ass. And I'm glad to have such an honorable title.

Jill looked at me from the corner of her eye, causing my to smile at her. It was good to see she was alive, after all these years too. I can still remember the look on her face ten years ago, back when we were working for STARS. She didn't look any more scared than me or any of the other guys. We were Raccoon's finest, ordered to investigate a series of random murders occurring near the outskirts of the city. And unsurprisingly, Umbrella was behind it the whole time. I'm lucky that Jill was one of the few who escaped with me.

Without her...I... aw crap now she's giving me that awkward look. Well hey, she shouldn't be complaining. I haven't seen her for 2 years. The least she could let me do is reacquaint myself with her body. Jill leaned back in her seat and stretched, allowing her golden blonde hair to fall past her shoulders.

"Finally. It's over," she said.

"Yes," replied Sheva as she gave me a look from across where we were sitting.

I nodded in response and brought my attention back to the outside world. How were the guys back in the US gonna believe this? What was I supposed to say to them? I could see it now: I walk into the office and wave to my fellow agents. 'Hey everyone! Remember those Gannados from the Kennedy report? Well guess what? Africa has been infected with Los Plagas? Isn't that just something? We had a lot of casualties, but thanks to me and Miss Sheva Alomar, the virus has been destroyed. What was that chief? That WASN'T our original mission? Don't fret! We took care of Irving just like you asked! And as an added bonus, we left Albert Wesker to rot in the bottom of a volcano, along with the last of the Uroburos Project. Got any more assignments for me?'

Yeah, like they were going to buy that.

My life up until this point has just been one horrible disaster after another. I can't even remember the last time I was able to take a well earned break. I couldn't even enjoy the fine scenery of Kijiju thanks to that damn virus. Leon must have had it rough in Europe.

Sheva crossed her legs and turned to Jill. I watched them from the corner of my eye.

"So, you're Chris' old partner?" she asked.

I thought we already established this. Oh well, at least they were getting along—don't get me wrong, I wasn't worried about them fighting over me, but hey, you never know.

Jill brushed her hair out of her face.

"Yep. We worked together years ago, even before the outbreak in 1998," she replied.

By this day and age, almost every American was aware of the tragic incident that took place in Raccoon City in 1998. It was a permanent mark in frames of history that could not be erased or undone. In a way, it could very well be compared to the terrorist attack that took place on the Twin Towers during 9-11 (may those souls rest in peace).

Fortunately for me, I never had to take a part in the Raccoon City outbreak.

"He told me about that. He says you went through something known as The Mansion Incident?" said Sheva as she looked over at me.

Instinctively, I nodded and responded for Jill.

"Jill and I go way back. But that incident with the BOW's in the mansion...I don't like to look back on it," I said seriously.

It was true, I hated that memory. Those were tough times back then. Times when you never knew who to trust. One of our most trusted allies became our worst enemy. That wasn't even half the reason why I hated 1998.

"But that's all in the past now," finished Jill. "The more important issue is what we are going to tell HQ when we get back."

"Tell 'em they suck at sending in backup," I replied.

Neither of the woman laughed at my joke. They must have still been shaken up from the previous events. As I said, I try not to look back on the past. Every time I do, it only ends up coming back to bite me in the butt in the future.

"I think the BSAA will have a fun time figuring out what Tricell was doing behind the scenes," said Sheva.

Jill and I both nodded.

That was an issue I planned to look into myself, personally. I wanted to know exactly why one of the BSAA's biggest sponsors would go to such limits as to hide the truth from us. Someone's going to have to pay for the deaths of those civilians, and it sure as hell ain't gonna be me.

I looked over at Jill and noticed her eyes start to drowse. She was falling asleep.

Sheva was about to say something else, but I put a finger to my lips, halting her in her tracks. She glanced at Jill and smiled at me.

Soon enough, both of them were asleep, and I was left alone to sit there and watch them while Josh flew us back to America.

And the morning sun was still rising in the sky.

It really is hard to believe Wesker is dead. I'm glad though. That man has caused me way to much grief in my life for me to feel sympathetic. It took me ten years to hunt him down and finish what he started. But for some reason, I feel that the battle isn't over. Someone else will rise to power and take the place of Albert Wesker. And I'm going to be the one to put a stop to him for good. Pain or no pain, this was my time. For now, I can rest easy and hope that the tyranny of Umbrella has finally ended.

More and more I find myself wondering if it's all worth fighting for.

For a future without fear...

Yeah, it's worth it.


	21. Mending My Heart

After Dark: The Mansion Incident

**Author's Note:** Alright, here's the last chapter, I hope you guys all enjoy it. Thank you to Pure-White-Angel22 for reviewing as well. I'll be sure to put you in the EXTRAS chapter when this is all over. For those of you who didn't understand the last part of the last chapter, it was being told through Chris Redfield's eyes when he, Jill and Sheva escape Africa on the helicopter. Sorry for spoiling the ending to RE5 for you newbies. But again, you guys don't care because you are all Smash Bros. fans. Yeah.

The following is a review reply to Fan From the Start as well as everyone else who is reading or reviewing. There's something new.

Fan From The Start and everyone,

The reason why I killed Clyde is because he had to fulfill his duty of doing "The Right Thing." In one of the chapters, Ivan tells him to escape the mansion and live on without him. That was merely a test to see if Clyde saw Ivan as his superior or as a true friend. In the end, Clyde sacrificed himself to save the Smashers, in the process, fulfilling his duty. Chris Redfield (not the Chris in The Great Clancer War, that's a different Chris) will not be appearing in the next story. The only reason why I put him in near the end here is because I tell the story of how The Mansion Incident first started in one of the earlier chapters. If you can remember, I summarized the entire story to Resident Evil 1 in a few paragraphs. Chris and Jill make an appearance in both near the beginning and end of this story. Notice how I tell the beginning of the first game and the end of the last game. It's to show that the nightmare is truly over for them. Now, everybody keeps asking me what the hell happened to Lucario and Pit. Don't jump to conclusions; they are not at Smash Mansion, not are they on Clancer with Link, Samus, Snake and Sonic. Their whereabouts will be discovered in the next story, as well as how they managed to escape the mansion and Umbrella. There's so much else I want to say to you guys, but I have to save it for the EXTRAS chapter coming up. I guess I can end this note by saying, THANK YOU ALL FOR READING!

Enjoy the final chapter to After Dark: The Mansion Incident.

-

Chapter 21: Mending My Heart

The Umbrella helicopter hovered over the land, covering vast forests and greenery with a small shadow. The sun had risen up above the mountains, high enough for every last detail of freedom to be revealed. Morning had come, and the mansion was just a few more kilometers ahead. The nightmare was finally over; warm, comforting reality was showing its face for the first time in 12 hours.

"There it is guys. Home sweet fucking home," said Captain Falcon as he leaned back in his seat and propped his feet up on the controls in front of him.

In all honesty, he had no idea what half the buttons and switches before him did. All he needed was a steering stick and the keys to the ignition and he was good.

Marth, who had been asleep the whole time stirred awake.

"Hm? What?" he asked drowsily.

"We're home! Look!" replied Falcon as he pointed out the front viewer.

An ocean of forest passed by below, but up ahead in a small clearing stood the great Smash Mansion. Never in his life had Marth seen any more beautiful; okay, that wasn't true but you get the idea.

The Altean rubbed the sleep from his eyes and sat up straight.

"Oh, I see it. How long was I out for?" he asked, attempting to clean his face with his dirty hand.

"A couple hours. It's all you needed though. Man can this thing fly fast for a chopper. We went from Canada to Japan in less than 3 hours!"

"Congratulations."

"Hey, if you would rather not let me take you home, I could drop you off right here."

"Stop screwing around and land this thing already. My chest is killing me."

Marth felt the fresh wound on his torso. Ike had really done some major damage to his body with that claw. At least, he thought it was Ike. The other Smashers that had been sitting in the back made not a single sound the entire trip. Even Falcon had trouble staying awake at the wheel; luckily, the sound of rotating chopper blades kept him awake.

This view of the mansion, the forest, and the far off mountains, reminded Falcon of the escape from Raccoon City a few months ago. In fact, it was the exact same view, except this time, he had a few more friends tagging along with him. He never would have guessed he would go through that scary shit again. It's no wonder why he hated Umbrella so much.

"Just be glad we're all alive. You can go wake everyone up now. We'll be there shortly," said Falcon as he glanced at the swordsman in the co-pilot seat.

Marth gave a silly salute and got up from his seat, wincing at the stabbing pain in his body. It seemed that lying still for 2 hours wasn't the best treatment for his body.

The swordsman staggered out of the cockpit and into the other compartment. He looked about in the seats and sighed. Zelda and Ike were sleeping in their seats, her head on his shoulders. Lucas was lying next to her, his head on her lap. Meta Knight sat across from them in a seat all to himself. Marth was about to open his mouth to say something, but quickly rejected the thought and went back to the cockpit.

Surely he could let them sleep for five more minutes.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The chopper hovered over Smash Mansion, circling it several times before Falcon found the perfect spot to land: the mansion parking lot. Just as he remembered it, all vehicles and ships that were owned by the Smashers were stowed away for safe keeping in the nearby garage, leaving a lot of space for the survivors to land. Another Umbrella helicopter was already parked outside the front entrance.

"You wanna brace yourself?" asked Falcon to the swordsman next to him.

"If you don't land this thing properly, so help me I will puke all over your face," replied Marth.

The sad truth was, he was serious.

"Don't worry, I wouldn't do that."

The chopper hovered above the ground for a few seconds before plopping down onto the cement safely. Falcon killed the engine and waited as the spinning blades came to a stop.

"Are they awake?" asked Falcon.

Marth shook his head in reply.

"Why not?! I told you-"

"Good morning, Captain Falcon."

Falcon shot up from his seat and turned around to see little Lucas standing by the entrance to the cockpit. He was smiling. Falcon stuttered a bit before replying.

"Oh, uh, yes. Hey there little buddy," he said cooly.

"Are we home now?"

"You bet your shorts we're home now. And so is everyone else! Let's go see!"

Falcon grabbed the boy's hand and walked into the compartment. Marth soon followed too.

The other Smashers were already awake; Meta Knight was opening the door. A blast of heat and light broke into the chopper as he opened it. The Star Wariror didn't even have time to react as a crowd of voices shouted into his ears.

"META KNIGHT!"

The Star Warrior lost his balance and fell out of the transport, onto the cold hard ground. A large group of people were standing before him. Immediately, he got up and wrapped his cape around himself.

"Not the welcome I was expecting..." said the Star Warrior.

The Smashers who had escaped from the infected mansion previously were all staring the short warrior down, as if this entire incident had been his fault. Ironically, none of these people had any wounds on their body. It seemed that besides their kidnapping, Umbrella never laid a hand on them.

Mario was standing near the front with his arms crossed.

"You have-a some explaining to do," he said seriously as he glared at Meta Knight.

The Star Warrior's eyes glanced from Smasher to Smasher, recognizing each and every one of them instantly. He wasn't at all surprised why they were mad at him. Hell, none of them probably knew what the heck was going on at that mansion. This was going to be difficult on his own.

As Meta Knight was about to reply, he was cut off by Lucas who jumped out of the chopper.

"It's so great to be home again!" exclaimed the boy as he started kissing the ground. The Star Warrior tapped his shoulder, causing him to stand up and see the crowd of angry looking people. "Oh. Um, hi everyone," he said quietly.

There was an awkward silence here for some reason. Meta Knight didn't know what to say at all. Actually, he was hoping Ike or Falcon would be there to back him up and explain to these people why they had been kidnapped in the first place.

Captain Falcon soon jumped out of the helicopter and landed next to Meta Knight and Lucas.

"Hey guys! Long time no see!" he greeted happily as he waved his hand.

Not one of the Smashers made a reply; Falcon shrank down low out of embarrassment.

"Enough talk. Tell us what the hell went on over there," said Ganondorf forcefully.

"Geez, you guys are so uptight," replied Falcon arrogantly.

"That's because we've been locked up for over 5 hours!" shouted the Gerudo as he advanced towards the minority.

Thankfully, Peach and Luigi held him back.

Meta Knight looked up when he heard Marth, Zelda and Ik emerge from the transport. He stepped aside to let them have some room. But regardless of Ike's condition, the Smashers persisted in their attempt to divulge information.

"How did Umbrella find us?" asked Ness.

"Why did they take us from our homes?" asked Red.

"Where are the others?" asked Falco.

"Whoa whoa, people! One at a time!" said Falcon as he put his arms up in defense.

Meta Knight stepped forward and cleared his throat.

"Can you not see that we are wounded? Do you not notice the fatal scars on Ike's chest? Give us some time to recover and recollect ourselves, or you will have to answer to me," he said loudly as he shoved his way through the group and towards the mansion.

Zelda and Marth followed him, helping Ike to walk on his feet. All the Smashers were silent as they watched the lone swordsman walk up to the front doors.

"Aren't you going to tell us what happened?" asked Olimar.

The Star Warrior stopped in front of the main doors and turned to his audience.

"I'm calling a meeting in the dining room in exactly one hour. All of you will be there."

With that, the Star Warrior pushed the heavy doors of the mansion open, and stepped inside.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Ike pulled a white t-shirt over his head before looking at his face in the mirror. Even though he had some bruises left, his face looked almost like new. Who knew Zelda had healing powers that could rival that of the First Aid Spray? Of course, the effects did take longer to activate, but it worked. The blue haired swordsman actually felt like a new man; no longer was he corrupted anymore.

He couldn't wait to see the reaction on Zelda's face when he steps out of his room in regular clothes. It felt so good to get out of those torn pants (what was left of them anyway).

He smiled sheepishly at his reflection before turning around to examine his mess of a room. Actually, 'mess' was an understatement; his room was a catastrophe. Several drawers and clothes were strewn about the room, littering the floor and dressers that were placed about. The walls had numerous holes and torn wallpaper in them. His bed looked like it had been attacked by a herd of hyenas. He was lucky enough to find a pair of clean clothes that were still intact.

The thought was in the back of his mind the whole time, but he knew very well who was responsible for this mess. The memory was faint, but the swordsman could still picture those soldiers breaking into the mansion and ransacking the place, destroying anything that looked valuable. It was this sort of issue that inquired Ike's curiosity. Why would Umbrella go to such lengths to destroy everything? They weren't robbers--well, that statement's a bit off too--but they would never do something as low as kidnap people and then wreck their homes. There must have been a purpose behind it; it had something to do with the experiment. And if that was true, then it could very well be possible that Ivan had lied to Ike in his letter. What a mess that would have been.

After a brief inspection of the area, Ike went over to the door and exited the room. Zelda was waiting for him in the hallway.

"Hey there," she said casually.

Ike was surprised by her calm demeanor, but he went with it.

"Hi..." he replied plainly.

The two ended up standing there looking at each other for a few seconds before Ike coughed to the side.

"So...how are you?" he asked.

She was hesitant to reply.

"Oh...I'm alright. Still a little bit sore though."

"Hm. I see."

Zelda actually didn't look half bad compared to the swordsman. She had salvaged one of her dresses from the wreckage of her dorm room, making herself look as though she had put on a new body--quite literally.

Another uncomfortable pause befell the couple.

What was one supposed say to someone after surviving a near death experience? That was a question Ike had faced several times in his life. And still he did not know the answer. Lucky for him, Zelda came up with a reply.

"Meta Knight is waiting for everyone in the dining room. We should go."

Okay, she was changing the subject, but at least they were getting somewhere.

"Alright," replied Ike.

Slowly, he reached for her hand, which she gave him willingly. A small shiver shot up his spine on contact. He felt so guilty for opening himself up to her. He felt that he cheated on her with the G-Virus. And although the virus wasn't a 'real' person, being possessed by it did feel like cheating on Zelda. The easiest way to describe the issue would be to interpret it like this: Ike and Zelda are in love. Ike and Zelda get separated from each other and are trapped in a maze filled with monsters and people who want them dead. In this maze, Ike stumbles upon another woman who is more beautiful, more powerful, and more likable than Zelda in each and every way. The woman seduces him into following her the entire trip, promising him 'great feelings' when the nightmare is over. He escapes the maze with Zelda, leaving the woman to die in the explosion. And now, Ike and Zelda are reunited, but the memories of the previous events still bite at his mind. Coincidentally, this is exactly how Ike interpreted it.

Hesitantly, the swordsman took the initiative and led the princess down the hall, each and every step feeling more uncomfortable than the last. Zelda could sense the tension between them in his footsteps.

"Are you okay, Ike?" she asked seriously.

"Uh, yeah, I'm fine," replied Ike quickly as he tried not to look at her.

Obviously, he was making himself look more uncomfortable than he already felt. Zelda gave a worried look, but didn't say anything. They headed for the dining room in silence.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Can we get this thing started already?!" shouted Ganon from near the end of the table.

Meta Knight, who had been sitting at the opposite end, stood up in his seat, getting a perfect view of everyone in the dining room.

"Not until everyone gets here. We're still waiting for Ike and Zelda," replied the Star Warrior.

Ganondorf glanced at the two empty seats between Marth and Lucas.

"We've waited long enough! You've tried my patience! I want answers now!" said the Gerudo King as he slammed his fit on the table, creating a large gash in the wood.

The table did not break from his strength, but rather from its instability. The dining room was surprisingly still intact. All the Smashers had gone to their rooms to find them torn to pieces; every other room in the mansion was a mess too, as if an army of thieves had found the place. The dining room, however, remained untouched, save for a few dirty footprints on the floor.

The Star Warrior sitting at the end held his head and grunted. Is this really what he wanted to come home to? People questioning him for what the hell had happened? Seriously, if he known it was going to be like this, he would have let Marth organize the meeting. But giving everyone an hour to refresh themselves was a good call. At least they were all cleaned up (Falcon spent that entire hour taking a shower).

The racer sitting by the Star Warrior stretched his arms out.

"Man, what is taking them so long!?" he said annoyingly.

As if on cue, the large doors opened and Ike and Zelda entered the room.

"We were just talking about you," said Marth as he gestured to the two seats next to him. Ike and Zelda quickly took their seats, then everyone gave their undivided attention to Meta Knight.

"You all know why you are here," started the Star Warrior.

"Can you get to the point already?" asked Wario, picking his nose.

"I don't exactly know where to begin," replied the Star Warrior.

"How about you tell us why Umbrella soldiers came into our home and kidnapped us?" suggested Ness.

"Ah, of course. Umbrella wanted us for one of their viral experiments. That's about all I know," said Meta Knight.

"But how did they know where to find us?"

Meta Knight paused here. He honestly couldn't answer that question. Maybe he really should have let Falcon organize the meeting.

"Someone...gave our personal information to Umbrella," said the Star Warrior.

Several of the Smashers gasped, while others made no outward reaction at all.

"You mean...someone betrayed us?" asked Fox.

"Yes. But...I'm not sure who it is..."

"I do."

Everyone in the room turned to who had said that last statement. It was Lucas, and he was slouching in his seat, embarrassed by all the attention he got.

"Really Lucas?" asked Falcon.

The blonde boy nodded.

"It was Master Hand. He betrayed the Smash Bros.," replied Lucas.

More gasping ensued here.

Mario rose from his seat.

"That is a lie! Master Hand would-a never do-a that!" he shouted.

"It's the truth! I saw it for myself! Master Hand was the one who triggered the self destruct! He was helping Umbrella the whole time!"

Lucas was close to tears.

Zelda stood up as well.

"He's telling the truth. I was there when he saw him," said Zelda as she put a comforting hand on Lucas' shoulder.

Mario sat back down.

Meta Knight and Captain Falcon exchanged quick glances with each other before reverting their eyes.

"Master Hand...yes, that would explain how Umbrella found out everything about us...even our home," said the Star Warrior. "But why did he do it?"

"Maybe Master Hand has really turned against us," said Olimar.

"That doesn't make any sense! He was the one who told us that we had to destroy Umbrella!" retorted Marth.

"Regardless, there is nothing more we can do now. Unless, Lucas, you know where Master Hand is?" asked Meta Knight.

"No. He escaped before I could stop him. I don't even know if he is still alive," replied the boy as he shook his head.

"I see."

An eerie silence befell the group here. Not one of them could believe that Master Hand was the traitor. The one person who founded the Smash Brothers was actually the one attempting to lead it to its downfall. Where the hell was the logic?

"The next issue that has to be settled...is why the mansion has been completely wrecked," said Meta Knight.

"Isn't that obvious? Umbrella came here ad trashed the place. Must have been one hell of a party," replied Falcon.

"Seriously Falcon, don't you care at all about our home?" asked Marth.

"No, Falcon does make a valuable point. Why would Umbrella waste their time in destroying the mansion? They have no business here whatsoever and the building itself was insignificant to their experiment," said Meta Knight.

"Maybe they just hate our guts with a passion," responded Falco.

"No, it's something more than that. They didn't wreck all the rooms. This room is still intact. All of the bedrooms have been torn inside out. What does that suggests?" asked the Star Warrior.

"Maybe they had nothing better to do?" asked Red.

"No. Think logically, people. They must have been doing something that would benefit the company."

"Maybe they were looking for something?" asked Zelda.

Meta Knight looked at her at this.

"Yes. Yes, that makes sense. But if that's true, what were they looking for?" he asked.

"Other people to kidnap?"

"Perhaps. But if not then what?"

Another long silence.

It seemed that the reason why no one as answering was because Meta Knight was asking the wrong people. This caused him to immediately turn his attention to a certain blue haired swordsman.

"Ike, you've been quiet this whole time. Are you alright?" asked the Star Warrior.

Ike sat at attention instantly. He hadn't been listening to anything that was going on at the meeting. His mind was too clouded by the thoughts of the G-Virus. Quickly, he thought up an excuse.

"Oh...yeah, I'm fine. I was just thinking about....where Link, Samus and Snake are," he lied.

"Actually, you're right. Now that you mention it, those three are missing. Same thing with Sonic."

"Thank God for that," muttered Ganon.

"Does anyone know where they could be?" asked Meta Knight.

No one said anything. Ike wanted to say something, but he wasn't quite sure himself where they were. He remembered seeing them last just before the nightmare started, and just after he had returned from Raccoon City for the second time. Chaos Control had sent them on a trip through time and space. He honestly didn't know where they were or what to say. Ike figured that the safest route to take would be to keep what he knew to himself for now. Surely the missing Smashers would turn up sooner or later.

The Star Warrior cleared his throat.

"It seems that we know nothing about Master Hand's disappearance or Umbrella's true intentions. We are completely lost in the dark," he said.

"What do we do now?" asked Peach.

"Simple. We rebuild and clean up the entire mansion. After that, we go find Master Hand."

"Is that it? Really? We don't even get a vacation?" asked Falcon.

"We cannot think about leisure activities at the moment. Without Master Hand, there is no Smash Bros. And as long as he still lives away from us, there will always be an Umbrella terrorizing innocent civilians. You all know what you must do. This meeting is now closed."

Meta Knight hopped down off the chair and exited the room by himself; he had a real knack for doing that.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Lucas was sitting outside the front door on the front steps of the mansion. He was staring out at the distance, over all the trees. He didn't know it, but he was hungry. Unfortunately, Umbrella had ransacked the refrigerator as well, leaving almost no food in the mansion at all.

But this didn't bother Lucas at all.

He didn't feel like cleaning his room like Meta Knight had told everyone else. He was too tired to do anything. His legs were killing him; he also had to get rid of several blisters that had presented themselves on the bottom of his feet when he got home. A change of clothes brightened his mood slightly, but still, he felt unhappy. It was the guilt of accusing his fiends as the traitor that bothered him. Would Falcon and Meta Knight ever forgive him for acting so stupid? Now was his chance to find out.

Lucas jumped when he heard the doors open behind him. Captain Falcon stepped out into the sunlight and sat down next to him.

"Done cleaning your room?" he asked.

Lucas stared at him for a bit before looking back out at the distance.

"No," he replied plainly.

Falcon smirked at him.

"Did you need help to get started?" he asked.

"No," replied Lucas again, this time more forcefully.

"Alright, calm down. No need to get angry."

"I'm not angry. I'm..."

"Hm?"

"I'm...sorry."

Falcon raised an eyebrow beneath his helmet. An apology was the last thing he was expecting from the boy, especially after he had saved his life. Well, they were pretty much even actually.

"You're sorry? Sorry for what?"

"I'm sorry for...thinking you were the traitor."

Falcon could feel his heart warming up inside his chest. And still, Lucas did not look at him, but kept his eyes focused to the front.

"Is that it?" asked Falcon.

"Yes. But...I feel so bad for it," replied the boy.

"Why? No harm done right? I mean, we're all alive now aren't we?"

"I know but...I could have killed you. So many times...I thought about stabbing you with that dagger. I just...I wanted to do something good for a change. I didn't want to be scared. I...I wanted to be brave."

At this, Lucas looked up at Falcon, his eyes watering a bit. Falcon's expression softened as he put an arm around the boy.

"You wanted to be brave..." he said.

"Yes," responded the boy as he rubbed his face with his hand.

"You know kid, you don't have to kill people in order to be brave. You don't have to jump in the way of a bullet to be a hero."

"I don't? Then..what do I have to do?"

"You just...You gotta do the right thing."

"The right thing?"

"Yeah, you know. Like how Meta Knight saved me from the poison of that snake. He did the right thing."

"I...I saved Zelda from being eaten by the virus..."

"See? It' not that hard to understand! Is that all you're upset about?"

"I guess..." Lucas' tears soon disappeared, and a small smile revealed itself on his face. Falcon could only respond by smiling. "Oh, Captain Falcon, I forgot to give you this!"

Lucas pulled the crumpled scarf out of his pocket. Most of it was made up of creases and black char marks, but it belonged to Falcon nonetheless. The boy handed the racer the piece of fabric.

"Lucas..." said Falcon as he stared at the scarf in his hands.

"I'm sorry it got ruined. I tried to keep it safe, but looks like I messed up. So much for 'the right thing'."

Captain Falcon clenched the warm fabric in his hands, tears streaming down his face. Lucas noticed them immediately and started worrying.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Yes, Lucas. I'm...I'm fine." Falcon embraced the boy on the steps, tears staining the boy's shirt. Lucas didn't know how to react. "You crazy kid! Even after enduring that catastrophe, you still have the guts to come out and give me this thing without feeling the least bit sorry for yourself!" wailed Falcon.

"Why are you...crying?" asked the boy confused.

Falcon let go of him and held his shoulders, looking him straight in the eyes.

"I'm crying because....you're the bravest boy I ever met!"

"What?"

Lucas didn't get a reply from the racer, for as soon as Falcon told him that statement, he hugged him again, tighter, not even daring to let go.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Marth went around the mansion foyer, sweeping all the rubble and debris into one large pile. Ness was also pushing a broom. Neither of them had said anything to each other for the past ten minutes since the meeting. Everyone else had gone up to their rooms to clean up, while they were stuck fixing the foyer at the bottom. And with only too people, it as going to take a while.

The Altean ignored the fact that he had several sores on his body; he attempted to sweep the best he could without limping. Having nothing better to do, Marth decided to strike up a conversation with the PSI boy.

"What was it like?" asked Marth.

Nice way to start a conversation.

Ness looked up at his voice, but continued sweeping across the room.

"What was what like?" he replied.

"Being in Raccoon City...with the virus."

Ness was surprised that he would even think about the outbreak. It wasn't like Ness didn't like to talk about it, but it usually made more sense to talk about recent incidents when discussing life changing events. The boy had just remembered that Marth was never there when Raccoon City became infected.

Some guys have all the luck.

"Raccoon City. It was...cold..." said Ness plainly.

Marth raised an eyebrow at this, but did not stop working.

"That's it?" he asked.

"No. But if I could describe the outbreak in one word, 'cold' would definitely suit it the most. Well, cold or dark," replied Ness.

"Were you scared?"

"Of course I was scared. I mean, who wouldn't be? The fact that you couldn't trust anyone at all just doesn't feel right. Never mind the fact that I was constantly running for my life from monsters and people who wanted my head."

"So, I take it that being locked up by Umbrella wasn't even half as bad as Raccoon City?"

"Nope, not at all. Although, now that you mention it, being locked up for that long has made me hungry."

"Don't even think about it. All the food is gone. Some of the others went out to go get some."

"There isn't even any in the item storage room?"

"Nope, none in there either."

"Wow, that sucks."

They continued to go about their business sweeping the floor, telling each other about how their personal experiences with Umbrella were. Surprisingly, Marth had quite the tale to tell.

"After Clyde set us free, I stayed back with Meta Knight to help find Ike. We found him alright, but there was something wrong with him," said the swordsman. "Apparently, he had been infected with some sort of virus that turns people into giant monsters. We had to fight him, Meta Knight, Lucas, Zelda and I, and believe me it wasn't a pretty sight. Ike was almost as powerful as Tabuu!"

"Wow."

"But thanks to Meta Knight and the cure, we were able to destroy the virus for good. Then we escaped, but we got stopped by some giant freak who was also infected with the virus."

"Uh-huh."

"Then Clyde sacrificed himself to save us all. We escaped using a chopper, and well...here I am."

"Sound like you had quite the adventure."

"Oh please, I wouldn't even call it that."

Again, the two friends stopped talking for a brief period to do the jobs the were assigned. Ness would occasionally go across to the other end of the room to sweep, but besides that, both Smashers remained in a stationary area of the foyer. And as for most people, awkward silence can become very difficult to deal with.

"So Zelda has the T-Virus out of her system?" asked Ness.

"Yep, as far as I know," replied Marth.

"Whew, good thing. I was afraid there wasn't going to be anything we could do to stop her."

"Well, when you want to figure out how to solve a problem, the best place to go to is straight to the source."

"True. But what if the cure didn't work fully?"

"What do you mean?"

"What if...what if Sheik is still infected?"

"How does that make sense? Sheik and Zelda are the same person. If one of them got cured, then the other one surely-"

"Hey, I'm just saying."

Marth stopped what he was doing and pondered on Ness' statement. The PSI boy waited patiently for a reply.

"You know...you could be right..."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Am I interrupting anything?"

Falcon and Lucas shot up and turned around to see Meta Knight standing behind them. Falcon immediately stopped hugging the blonde boy and straightened out his voice.

"Oh, uh no. Ahem. I was just, uh, getting my scarf back from Lucas. Yeah, that's it," said Falcon confidently.

The Star Warrior chuckled and took a seat on the front steps; Falcon and Lucas did the same as well. The three sat in silence, enjoying the comforts of the warm environment they were in. Meta Knight's eyes retained their golden color under the shining sun.

"You brought up some pretty good questions at that meeting," said Falcon, trying to start a conversation.

"Heh, why thank you," replied the Star Warrior. "I was only doing what I saw best for everyone."

"Yeah, but I think they're still pretty pissed at us."

"They should not be. We never would have come into contact with Umbrella had it not been for Link, Samus and Snake. They should be the ones who are to blame. But even so, I can't blame them. There is too much evil in this world to go around hating people you care about."

Falcon took this in slowly, nodding his head. Looks like Meta Knight and his famous words of wisdom were back, alive and kicking.

"Did you already finish cleaning?" asked Lucas.

Meta Knight did not look at him, but stared out beyond the forest.

"No. I haven't started. I've been thinking about...other issues," replied the Star Warrior.

"Like what?"

There was a brief pause here before a reply.

"You two helped to fight through the evil of Subspace, Raccoon City, and the mansion. I never would have made it out without you."

"Well, your welcome," replied Falcon with a small wink.

"I guess what I'm trying to say is...I owe both of you an apology," said Meta Knight.

Both the boy and the racer raised an eyebrow at this.

"An apology?" asked Lucas.

Meta Knight nodded.

"Falcon, I...I'm sorry for threatening you when we were in the mansion. I thought you were really the traitor."

"Heh, no worries," replied Falcon.

"And Lucas, I'm sorry for being rude to you when we were exploring the rest of the mansion without Falcon. I don't know what came over me."

"It's okay, Meta Knight," replied Lucas.

The Star Warrior nodded in response, but also gave a subtle smile beneath his cracked mask.

"And you know what?" asked Falcon as he put an arm around Lucas and the Star Warrior. "I'm sorry for being a jerk to both of you. Don't pretend you haven't noticed; I could tell you guys were annoyed just by the way you looked at me. Thanks for putting up with my crap."

"Hehe, okay Captain Falcon," replied Lucas.

Falcon let go of his friends and the three of them stood up.

They really were an unstoppable team. Captain Douglas Falcon, Meta Knight, and Lucas, three of the Smash Brothers' most dependent and dedicated fighters. They survived the outbreak of Raccoon City together, and thy survived the Mansion Incident together. Nothing in the world could destroy the bond of friendship these three shared.

"Gentlemen...I think it's about time we started helping with the rebuilding," said Meta Knight as he offered his hand.

Falcon grabbed it firmly and smirked.

"Alright! Let's get this place cleaned up!" he cheered.

The two glanced at Lucas who nodded with a smile.

"Okay!" he said.

The three friends gave one final cheer before running back into the mansion. And not once did Lucas stop to ask Meta Knight if he really took his dagger or not. For that thought was merely a faint shadow on the wall.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Ike approached the door cautiously. He didn't exactly know how he was going to do this. What was he going to tell her? How would she react if she found out Ike had been cheating on her the whole time he was in the mansion? Unfortunately, there was only one true way to find out.

Hesitantly, Ike knocked on Zelda's door, praying that her reply wouldn't be something harsh. No voice talked back to him from the other side. There was no, 'who is it?' or 'I'm coming!', no. There was nothing but dead silence. Ike concluded that Zelda was not in her room, but if not then where was she? What could be more important to her than cleaning her room after strange men in black uniform had rummaged through all her things?

Zelda was somewhere else.

Ike cursed to himself as he ran down the messy hallway, bypassing other Smashers who were cleaning their rooms.

"Hey Ike! What's the rush?" asked Olimar as he started picking up dirt that was littered outside his room.

The blue haired swordsman did not look at him, but asked loudly as he passed, "Do you know where Zelda went?"

"Um, I saw her go down to the ballroom."

"Okay, thanks!"

The ballroom? Of all places why there? Did Umbrella destroy that room just like they did to almost very other room in the mansion? Nah, they couldn't have. Although the ballroom was the largest room in the mansion, it was completely empty. So even if the soldiers did stumble upon it, there would have been nothing for them to destroy or steal. Luckily for Ike, this was exactly the case.

He glided down the stairs and through the large double doors which contained the ballroom. It was spotless. This room had remained untouched and unsoiled by the evil of Umbrella. The massiveness of it all was so overwhelming to the swordsman. He could almost picture all his fiends dressed up and dancing in this room, enjoying their free time as well as their own lives. But no, they weren't here now. Everyone else was busy cleaning up the mansion.

Ike ran into the room and did a brief inspection. It was empty. There were no traces of Zelda anywhere. The swordsman was starting to get worried.

The sound of wind fluttering against thick curtains caused Ike's attention to turn to the balcony. The clear glass door leading outside was open.

Instinctively, Ike walked over to the balcony and stopped at the entrance to see his princess gazing out at the great forest. He smiled nervously as he walked up next to her silently. She turned to look at him, but he kept his focus to the front.

"Hi," she started.

"Hey," he replied.

It was starting to get awkward all over again as the two continued to stare out into the distance. Ike really wanted to talk to her, but he felt that she would rather not start up a conversation. It was time to pick a random topic--one that had to do with recent events of course, otherwise he would sound like an idiot.

"I never had a chance to say thank you...for...saving me," he said.

She giggled at his words.

"You took what I was going to say," she replied.

Both of them gave a subtle laugh before turning back into the serious mood.

"Zelda, you know I would do anything for you, right?" asked the swordsman.

Zelda looked at him with concern. Where exactly was he going with this?

"Yes..." she replied.

"And you know that I wouldn't let anything bad happen to you ever...right?"

He said that sentence rather quickly for some reason.

"Go on..."

"Well, look. There's something that I want to tell you. I just...I don't know how to say it."

"Is this about the incident at the mansion?"

"Yes, it is." Ike couldn't believe what he was about to tell her. He prayed silently that she wouldn't get mad. "I met this guy," he spat hastily.

An excuse. He was too afraid to tell her about his feelings so he decided to get this other issue off his chest.

"You met a guy?" she asked.

"I did. You may not know who he is, but...he is mostly responsible for why we were all kidnapped. His name is Ivan Anderson. He's a thin guy, whitish grey hair, about in his fifties. I had a real grudge against him when I found out he hurt you."

"..."

"I hated him with my guts. If there was one wish I could have had in that mansion, it would have been for him to die. I'm not lying."

"You would have preferred it if he died rather than saving me?"

"Yes. No! Look, this is very difficult to tell you. You gotta just hear me out right now. When I was in that mansion, I had two choices: one, be the hero and save you or two, become the most powerful warrior in the world and save you. I didn't want to just 'be' a hero. I needed more than that! I wanted to be the most powerful fighter in the world! I wanted people to fear my name! To bow down before me! To-"

Zelda put a finger up to his lips causing him to stop ranting. She had a serious look in her blue eyes.

"Ike...You...You already are the most powerful fighter in the world. I mean...that was the whole point in throwing that celebration for you. It was the reason why you became the champion of the Smash Bros."

Ike's eyes went wide as she said these words.

He had no idea.

The fame, the power, it was all there in front of his face the whole time. He didn't need a virus for strengthen his body. He didn't need a crazy scientist testing his patience. Everything he ever wished for, everything he ever dreamed for, it was all there, ripe for the taking.

"Oh my God. I...I didn't realize..." he said nervously.

Zelda wrapped her arms around him and hugged him.

"I know you went through some hard time in that mansion. The monsters are enough to drive anyone mad. But please, don't kill yourself for my sake," she said.

Ike backed away, causing her to let go.

"You don't understand! When I was in that mansion, I did go insane! I fell in love Zelda! Not with you, no, I fell in love with the virus! The unstoppable might of the G-Virus! Do you know how it feels to have an unlimited surge of power rushing through your veins? How it feels to watch your enemies crumble to dust beneath your bare hands? It's the greatest feeling in the world! And now, that power is gone! I don't have it anymore! I'm my old self again! My...old...self..."

Zelda stepped towards him, causing him to back up further.

"Ike...I don't want you to be powerful. You don't need it," she said.

"I need it! I need to be better! I need to be stronger! So that next time when Umbrella decides to attack, I'll be ready for them! I'll be there to protect you! I'll make sure that they never harm you or any of the others again!"

"But...you'll only end up killing yourself."

Ike didn't reply to this, but slouched his shoulders. The rush of adrenaline was starting to dissipate as he slowly crept back over to Zelda. She did not take her eys off of him.

"Zelda..." he said.

"To me, you are the most powerful warrior in the world. You have a lot of friends. You have a lot of money. You won the tournament. You survived some of the greatest catastrophes this world has ever known. And you want more? Ike...you don't know how fortunate you are right now," she replied seriously.

Ike looked down at the ground out of shame.

He didn't want to believe it, but Zelda was really right. He really was the luckiest guy on earth. What people would give to be in his shoes; he never looked at it like that. His whole life at Smash Mansion was dedicated to making Zelda happy. He did not know it, but he had been destroying himself the whole time.

In one swift motion, Ike embraced Zelda and held her tightly, tears streaming down his face.

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry Zelda! Please! Forgive me! I'm so selfish! I should have died in that mansion! I don't deserve to live!" he wailed.

Zelda held him comfortably and almost felt herself wanting to cry.

"It's okay, Ike. I'm here. The nightmare is over. I'm not mad at you," she said calmly.

The swordsman sniffled before letting go and rubbing his face.

"Sorry about that. I really do hate crying in front of you."

"It's okay. Everyone has to cry every once and a while. And you don't deserve to die, Ike. If you've survived up until this point, it must have been destined to happen. It was your fate to get infected with the virus. Your fate to save us all from Umbrella. Your fate to destroy the mansion and bring us home. The Mansion Incident was your destiny all along."

Ike hugged her again, more warmly this time. She really did know how to make him feel better in the worst of times.

Together, they shared one final kiss under the sun before heading back into the ballroom to finish the dance they had started a long time ago.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_Ivan, you don't know how much I want to thank you. Although you seemed like a real jerk at first, I've come to realize that you were jut another good-heart man doing his job. Not only that, but you helped me to believe in myself and fight my greatest fears. _

_Don't get me wrong, I still hate you for kidnapping me and my friends in the first place for your God damned experiments. _

_But you showed me that I never needed any of that power from the virus. I never needed revenge. All I wanted was to protect the people I love. And in life, that is the most important thing we all strive to do. I really wish I could have been there to see you off in your last few minutes, but like everyone you have a great journey ahead of you. I hope that wherever you go, God will be there to guide you through the afterlife. _

_Heh, I can't believe I just said that. _

_I, personally, never wanted to believe in God or any of that life/death mumbo jumbo. But I just can't help but think that you are really moving on to the afterlife. Will all the experiments undergone go to waste? Or will someone else rise to power and finish what your superiors started? _

_It doesn't matter now. All that matters is, you were a great man, and I am glad that I was able to live through the incident. May your soul rest in peace. And may Zelda and I live happy lives with our friends until we die. _

_In His name I pray. _

_Amen._


	22. EXTRAS

EXTRAS

Here it is, my little mini bonus chapter. Think of it as a gift from me to you. Thank you for reading.

**Theme Music**

So, this is the main theme of the entire story, only because it gives the impression of a dark atmosphere, as well as separation from yourself and others.

"New Divide" by Linkin Park

I remembered black skies, the lightning all around me

I remembered each flash as time began to blur

Like a startling sign that fate had finally found me

And your voice was all I heard that I get what I deserve

So give me reason to prove me wrong, to wash this memory clean

Let the floods cross the distance in your eyes

Give me reason to fill this hole, connect the space between

Let it be enough to reach the truth that lies across this new divide

There was nothing in sight but memories left abandoned

There was nowhere to hide, the ashes fell like snow

And the ground caved in between where we were standing

And your voice was all I heard that I get what I deserve

So give me reason to prove me wrong, to wash this memory clean

Let the floods cross the distance in your eyes across this new divide

In every loss, in every lie, in every truth that you'd deny

And each regret and each goodbye was a mistake too great to hide

And your voice was all I heard that I get what I deserve

So give me reason to prove me wrong, to wash this memory clean

Let the floods cross the distance in your eyes

Give me reason to fill this hole, connect the space between

Let it be enough to reach the truth that lies across this new divide

Across this new divide, across this new divide

**Ike's Theme**

This one may have been a bit obvious. I'll leave you to figure out why I chose this song for Ike's theme.

"Animal I Have Become" by Three Days Grace

I can't escape this hell

So many times I've tried

But I'm still caged inside

Somebody get me through this nightmare

I can't control myself

So what if you can see the darkest side of me

No one will ever change this animal I have become

Help me believe it's not the real me

Somebody help me tame this animal!

This animal, this animal

I can't escape myself

So many times I've lied

But there's still rage inside

Somebody get me through this nightmare

I can't control myself

So what if you can see the darkest side of me

No one will ever change this animal I have become

Help me believe it's not the real me

Somebody help me tame this animal I have become

Help me believe it's not the real me

Somebody help me tame this animal

Somebody help me through this nightmare

I can't control myself

Somebody wake me from this nightmare

I can't escape this hell

This animal, this animal

This animal, this animal

This animal, this animal

This animal

So what if you can see the darkest side of me

No one will ever change this animal I have become

Help me believe it's not the real me

Somebody help me tame this animal I have become

Help me believe it's not the real me

Somebody help me tame this animal!

This animal I have become

**Ivan's Theme**

This one was tough. but I couldn't help but put in a Disturbed song. This song expresses the evil an d ignorance of mankind, something that Ivan himself was trying to figure out over the course of this story. It's actually one of my favorite Disturbed songs too.

"Land of Confusion" by Disturbed

I Must Have Dreamed A Thousand Dreams

Been Haunted By A Million Screams

But I Can Hear The Marching Feet

They're Moving Into The Street

Now, Did You Read The News Today?

They Say The Danger Has Gone Away

But I Can See The Fire's Still Alight

They're Burning Into The Night

There's Too Many Men, Too Many People

Making Too Many Problems

And There's Not Much Love To Go Around

Can't You See This Is A Land Of Confusion?

This Is The World We Live In

And These Are The Hands We're Given

Use Them And Let's Start Trying

To Make It A Place Worth Living In

Oh, Superman, Where Are You Now?

When Everything's Gone Wrong Somehow?

The Men Of Steel, These Men Of Power

Are Losing Control By The Hour

This Is The Time, This Is The Place

So We Look For The Future

But There's Not Much Love To Go Around

Tell Me Why This Is A Land Of Confusion

This Is The World We Live In

And These Are The Hands We're Given

Use Them And Let's Start Trying

To Make It A Place Worth Living In

I Remember Long Ago

When The Sun Was Shining

And All The Stars Were Bright All Through The Night

In The Wake Of This Madness, As I Held You Tight

So Long Ago

I Won't Be Coming Home Tonight

My Generation Will Put It Right

We're Not Just Making Promises

That We Know We'll Never Keep

There's Too Many Men, Too Many People

Making Too Many Problems

And There's Not Much Love To Go Round

Can't You See This Is A Land Of Confusion?

Now, This Is The World We Live In

And These Are The Hands We're Given

Use Them And Let's Start Trying

To Make It A Place Worth Fighting For

This Is The World We Live In

And These Are The Names We're Given

Stand Up And Let's Start Showing

Just Where Our Lives Are Going To

**Credits**

(cue theme music)

Super Smash Bros. characters, themes, and ideas by Nintendo and Hal Laboratories

Resident Evil monsters, characters, places and names by Capcom

Solid Snake and Metal Gear by Konami

Sonic the Hedgehog, characters, themes, etc by Sega

Some OC's are based off actual people

**Super Smash Bros. Brawl's Cast**

Ike

Zelda/Sheik

Captain Falcon

Ness

Lucas

Meta Knight

Marth

Link

Samus

Snake

Lucario

Fox

Falco

Master Hand

Mario

Pit

Ganondorf

Sonic

Olimar

Peach

Diddy Kong

King Dedede

Kirby

Luigi

Bowser

Wario

Yosih

Donkey Kong

ROB

Ice Climbers

Pokemon Trainer (Red)

Pikachu

Jugglypuff

Wolf

Mr. Game & Watch

Toon Link

Tabuu

**Locations and Names from Super Smash Bros. Brawl**

Battlefield

Trophy

Tournament

Smash Ball

Blue Falcon

Halberd

Mute City

Dreamland

New Pork City

**Resident Evil's Cast**

Albert Wesker

Chris Redfield

Jill Valentine

Sheva Alomar

Josh Stone

Ada Wong

Excella Gyone

Irving

Lisa Trevor

Barry Burton

Brad Vickers

Joseph Frost

Osmund Saddler

William Birkin

Merchant

Ozwell Spencer

Mr. X

**Monsters from Resident Evil**

Zombie

Cerberus

Hunter

Crimson Head

Tyrant

Yawn (Giant Snake)

Black Tiger (Giant Spider

Snakes

Plants

**Locations and Names from Resident Evil**

T-Virus

Los Plagas

Umbrella Corporation

The Mansion Incident

Raccoon City

Arklay Mountains

TriCell

BSAA (Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance)

BOW (Bio-Organic Weapon)

G-Virus

Uroburos

STARS (Special Tactics And Rescue Service)

RPD (Raccoon City Police Department)

**My OC's and Cast**

Ivan Anderson

Clyde Valchev

Van Valchev

Jack (chopper pilot)

Tom (chopper pilot)

Dan (zombie in the guest room)

Riley Anderson

G-Virus persona

**Special Thanks**

Thank you to all my reviewers. All your efforts and time has finally paid off. Note: the reviewers are ordered by alphabet, not by who is my favorite or whatever. I try not to judge, especially people who I barely even know.

**archaeo95** – An awesome person who I like mainly because he dislikes Truth or Dare fics. It's good to know there are at least SOME sane people using this website. Thanks for reviewing man!

**Bouncefox** – She's a great reviewer who always tends to hold back on her rants, but I don't mind it at all. She ain't afraid to voice her opinion, which is good because I like to see how my story influences people on the inside. Thanks for reviewing!

**Chris000** - He's my very first reviewers ever on this site, as well as a trusted friend in real life. I know Horror isn't really your favorite genre of fiction but thanks for taking the time to read my story. And to anyone else who is reading this, check this guy out. He makes up part of the minority of ; by that, I mean he is a good author.

**Clear Blue** – Another great reviewer who isn't afraid to tell me what she thinks of my stories. She's also one of my first reviewers ever. Thanks a lot for reading and reviewing!

**drizzt the sword master** (annonymous) – Haha! Your review is the shortest one I've ever received for a story! Thanks a million!

**Fan From The Start** (annonymous) – This guy made me realize that I actually have fans outside the website. For that, I thank you from the very bottom of my heart (seriously). Also, I thank you for reading and supporting this story as well as the prequel and upcoming fics. Thanks so much! You really know how to make my day!

**FireE21** – Another awesome reviewer whose comments brighten my day. Thanks for reading and reviewing!

**guy without name** (annonymous) – I'm not sure if your review was a flame or a compliment, but thanks for reviewing anyway. Oh, and next time you accuse someone of spelling errors, make sure you keep your review spelling-error-free, that way authors will take you more seriously.

**Haninator** - One of good friends here on the site, and also a Link fangirl. She took the time to read every single chapter of my story! Thank you so much! And if you guys have the time, visit her profile and vote on her poll!

**metasaur** – Yet again, another author who has stuck with me since the prequel. He's just an awesome guy and his reviews always bring a smile to my face. Thanks for reading!

**MinaDeville** – You didn't say much, but thanks anyway for reviewing!

**Nica-angel** (annonymous) – Well, I guess I made yet another one of my offline fans' wishes come true. Congrats! You made it to the EXTRAS chapter! Thanks for reviewing! Your comments were a real pleasure to read!

**Pure-White-Angel22** – An awesome author and reader. It's an honor to receive a review from you.

**Random Flamer** (annonymous) – You really didn't like my story eh? (Or my guts for that matter). That's a darn shame. Ah well, I can't please everyone. Thanks for taking the time to read.

**SG-Kai** - My second reviewer ever. This guy has always stuck to my stories right to the end, no matter how boring or stupid they get. His little comments at the end of each of his reviews always make me laugh. Thanks for reading!

**Soudin** – Just an awesome guy who leaves decently long reviews. Thanks for reading and voicing your opinion! It really means a lot!

**wrestlemaniac818** – A guy who reviews occasionally. I'm really glad you found my story a pleasure to read. Thanks for reading!

**xKMIx** – A friend on this site, who I know never read the whole story, but that's okay because I know it wasn't your type of genre. If your reading this, thanks for reviewing!

**Fun Facts**

-This story took me approximately three months to type

-The longest chapter is chapter 11 (10,000 words) while the shortest chapter is chapter 19 (3,000 words)

-Van Valchev is based off of a real person

-Ike never uses his regular sword (Ragnell) once in this story

-The italicized words in the beginning of chapter 1 show what could have happened if Ike was too late to save Zelda

-In chapter 1, Ness is seen attempting to hide a bouquet of roses behind his back for Zelda. This is a foreshadow of Lucas in the lab when he tries to hide the T-Virus cure from Clyde Valchev

-Ivan's last name comes from my fourth grade teacher, Mr. Anderson. He was a great man who sadly passed away one year after I graduated from his class. God bless his soul

-The layout of the mansion in this story is based off the one from REmake

-In the Resident Evil games, a typewriter is usually used to save the player's progress. Ironically, Ike uses them as a weapon near the beginning of this story

-In chapter 2, Ike says, "A dining room?" out loud. This is an exact quote from Resident Evil 1, said by Barry Burton

-In chapter 2, Falcon says, "Get down!" to Ike as he's about to shoot a zombie behind him. This is an exact quote from Resident Evil 2, said by Leon.

-I use Pathetic Fallacy frequently throughout the first half of the story. Pathetic Fallacy is when the mood of the story and the environment reflect one another. For example, it rains non-stop in the first half of the story

-In the original and REmake of Resident Evil, zombies don't appear in more than groups of three. I kind of ignored that rule for the sake of the story

-The scene in chapter 4 where Falcon is trapped in the boxed room was inspired by the scene in Resident Evil 1 where Jill gets trapped in it. She gets saved by none other than Barry

-In my stories, Ganondorf and Sonic always have a thing against each other

-Believe it or not, the original plot of this story was going to be about Ike playing through the entire original Resident Evil game, unlocking all rooms, collecting all items and defeating all the enemies

-Both of the Valchev brothers died saving someone's life

-In chapter 5, Ike sees a silhouette of a zombie standing outside in the rain. In Resident Evil REmake, you can see that exact zombie standing outside, occasionally knocking on the window. And just like in RE, the zombie lunges through the window, into the mansion

-Ike says the F word once in this entire story (chapter 5)

-Originally, chapter 6 was going to be named, "A Dark and Stormy Knight." I quickly changed the "Knight" to "Night." Reason being is because I found out "A Dark and Stormy Knight" is the name of a Scooby Doo episode

-Very seldom do zombies actually use doors in the original Resident Evil.

-Here's something interesting. The zombies in my stories can't use stairs without falling down them. However, the zombies in Resident Evil 1 can attack on stairs, but only by puking on you

-In chapter 6, when Meta Knight says, "I serve a higher authority," it is an exact quote from Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, said by Geno. I always thought that quote was cool

-In one of the earlier chapters, Falcon is convinced that he should save his magnum ammo. This of course, foreshadows right to the end when he uses his magnum to blow a hole through Mr. X's head

-This story takes place during the exact same time as the Resident Evil 5 story, ten years after the first Mansion Incident

-Chapter 7 was inspired by my interest in the Deathnote series. I always admired how L could solve the most difficult of problems using the simplest of means

-The traitor of this story actually wasn't decided until about halfway through the plot. Originally, I was going to have Meta Knight be the traitor, but I figured Master Hand would be a better candidate because he is rarely ever seen

-At one point in the novel, the power to the mansion goes out. This was inspired by the blackout that occurs in Luigi's Mansion, about halfway through the game. I always wondered how scary RE1 would be if all the lights were off

-Personally, my favorite chapter is chapter 8. Snake's speech just gives me shivers every time I read it. Good shivers

-I chapter 9, Falcon has a dream. This is the exact same dream Samus has near the end of Into the Dark, except from his perspective

-Kerosine is an actual item that can be used to set zombie bodies on fire in RE1

-Ike refers to his life as a "game." See if you can spot the irony

-In chapter 11, Ike has a flashback from Into the Dark when he is tortured by the Los Illumindos

-In chapter 11, Ike picks up a shovel and goes outside into the courtyard. He sees two Cerberus' patrolling. Originally, I was going to have him fight the dogs with his shovel, but I was too lazy to put in the scene :/

-Some items and weapons were moved around for the sake of the story. For example, the disk that Meta Knight found in the bar room should really have been a gold emblem

-No one knows for sure if Lucas can really play the piano

-Ike doesn't appear in chapter 12 and 13

-The G-Virus gives a hint as to which of the cures was the right one. It said that it despised both the color blue and red. Blue+Red=Purple

-Meta Knight shows no emotions. However, in this story, he slowly succumbs to the evil of the mansion. His state of mood is all determined by his eye color, where gold is normal, red is anger, and green is compassion. It's also a little known fact, but Meta Knight's eyes are actually white. It's his mask that tints his eye color to gold. A lot of people tend to get this confused. Proof that his mask is tinted is when Kirby wheres the mask. His eyes are blue, so when they clash with the gold, his eyes turn green. Try it out next time you play Brawl

-Crazy Hand doesn't make any appearance at all in this story or the prequel

-The scene in the chopper with Chris Redfield was taken directly from the RE5 ending

-In my original plot, Ivan was supposed to be the main villain throughout the entire story

-In my stories, Marth and Ness have a brother like relationship with each other. This is evident in another one of my stories, "Marth's New Sword"

**My Pairings**

IkexZelda - Woo, bet you never saw this one coming. Anyway, yeah I don't know why I find this pairing so interesting. Maybe because there aren't that many female Smashers in Brawl. Hm. I think it's a pretty good match, considering Ike has super human strength and Zelda has powerful magic.

IkexG-Virus - I guess I have to consider this a pairing because Ike really was in love with the virus while he was infected by it. Of course, the virus doesn't have any feelings for him at all, but would rather use his body for its own advantages.

**Tale of a Fallen Falcon**

In the earlier portion of this story, Captain Falcon is revealed to have a corrupted past, one that he would rather not tell anyone about. As much as I would like to keep it a secret, I guess I can't in order to make the story make more sense (as well as set the plot for the next story in progress). In short, Falcon's mother was killed by his drunken father. He witnessed the gory scene at a very young age, scarred forever by the memory of a bullet piercing his mother's skull. I won't reveal anything else, but it's something to keep in mind when the next story rolls around...

**Beneath the Gas Mask**

Van Valchev and Clyde Valchev look the exact same beneath their masks; they are identical twins. However, you ca tell them apart because Van has a scar going across his nose while Clyde has slightly longer hair. In my Dark Series, I give Van and Clyde their own personal identities. Clyde never reveals his face in the story, unlike Van in the prequel. From this one can easily tell the difference between the two. It is also interesting to note that the brothers' parents were murdered by Umbrella, but they were unaware at the time. They dedicated their lives to serving the people who they really sought to destroy, unintentionally and ignorantly. In this perspective, the Valchevs have really suffered a tragic life. But who exactly will take up the place of 'American Badass' next story? Hm. It's time to bring back an old friend who survived Into the Dark...

**God Is My Fate**

I had some issues writing this story, but the most significant one would have to be the whole religion thing. On a personal note, I have never played Fire Emblem on the Wii, so I have no idea what Ike's true character is like. I know for a fact that, like Link, Ike's sword was blessed by a goddess of some sort, which would make it completely paradoxical that he would worship a 'true' God in the first place. In all honesty...I incorporated some of my character with Ike's. Believe me, this was completely unintentional upon writing the first half of the story, but I felt that there had to be some sort of spiritual connection between God versus G-Virus. In this manner, I made it seem like the G-Virus was the devil, while God was, well, God, forcing Ike to chose between life and death. With this thought, I also attempted to get people to relate to the story. I hope I wasn't too far off with that either. Well, at least majority of the readers said Ike was in character, and I guess that's what really matters.

**Last Words**

I had a real blast typing this story, and I hope my future stories become as successful as this one. Again, I want to thank all my readers and reviewers for their continued support. Thanks again! And goodnight! Be sure to be on the lookout for the next and final installment to my Dark Series!


End file.
